For Songs

For Songs

This podcast is for those who love music but can't write a tune to save their lives. We talk with singer/songwriters of all stripes, professional touring musicians to those who can't quite catch a break. Maybe you'll hear something you'll like. Maybe not. But you will come away with a greater appreciation for the gift of songwriting, and how hard it really is. Now sponsored by @thepugdc!

Episodes

October 28, 2024 29 mins
Happy Halloween! Here’s a special edition of For Songs Singles! This time we bring back old friend Lisset Diaz, singer/songwriter for the Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project (https://www.sweetlizzyproject.com/), probably one of the hardest rocking and hardest working bands around. Lisset joins me to talk about the band’s latest single, Tales of Never-Ending Rage and a Beautiful Disaster, released just in time for Hallowee...
Mark as Played
Buckle up everyone—it’s milestone time! This episode of For Songs is the nice, big, round number of 70! That’s right, 7-0! And helping me celebrate is the most popular guest I’ve had—Minneapolis singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Murphy. A co-founding member of one of Minnesota’s biggest rock band Soul Asylum, Dan is making his third appearance on the show. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Dan discusses the first single from his ...
Mark as Played
Sometimes the simplest words say the most. For proof, look no further than my next guest, Richmond, Va.-based singer/songwriter Mighty Joshua (www.mightyjoshua.com). Mighty Joshua is one of the hottest, sought after reggae acts along the East Coast, and his new album Dreaducation demonstrates why. In this episode, Mighty Joshua talks “Beware,” the first single from the new record. The song is a musical tour de force, with a driving...
Mark as Played
Every now and again I pinch myself when doing this show. It’s been four years and I’ve had some amazing guests. Yet this one—with all due respect to everyone who’s been on—this one has been more than 30 years in the making. Because my guest is Ian Hunter, hands down my favorite singer-songwriter of ‘em all. Ian is best known for his time fronting the early to mid-70s band English band Mott the Hoople. Mott had a major hit in 1972 w...
Mark as Played
Some folks are just a natural for this show. Nashville-based veteran singer/songwriter Tim Easton (https://www.timeaston.com/) certainly fits the bill. A renowned tunesmith, Easton has lived a quintessential troubadour life—busking in Europe and living in L.A., New York, and many places in between. Now calling Nashville home, Tim is back with a new album Find Your Way. Tim’s solo work dates back to the late 90s, back when the major...
Mark as Played
If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Sometimes you just gotta let the song work its way out on its own schedule. Just let it go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, joins me to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque punk rocker released in early...
Mark as Played
If there’s been one constant chronicled on this podcast, it’s that no one knows the future of the music industry. Hell, no one even knows what the next few days are going to be like in the industry. Certainly my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones, is doing all he can to crack the code. Ian is making his third appearance on this show, this time to discuss his latest single, I Can’t Seem to Drink Her Off My Mind (h...
Mark as Played
Lest anyone doubt the power of music, I give you the life of Barry Lynch. I met Barry while on vacation in May 2012 at a small pub in the small town of Moy, Northern Ireland, after he led a brilliant Irish session in which he sang and played just about every stringed instrument known to man. I finally brought him onto this show in July 2022 (https://forsongs.fireside.fm/49)to discuss an album he’d just produced by a band called th...
Mark as Played
When we last caught up with Yasmin Williams (https://www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com/), her life was just about to change. It was February 2021, the pandemic was slowly but surely starting to ease, and the DC-based acoustic guitar maestro released her groundbreaking album Urban Driftwood. Full of spellbinding, mesmerizing, uplifting acoustic-guitar driven instrumentals, Urban Driftwood took Yasmin from her parent’s house to all around ...
Mark as Played
Thirty years ago, I popped in If I Should Fall From Grace with God by the London-Irish punk band the Pogues, and my life changed forever. I was 17, socially awkward, and a bit of a loner, but discovering the Pogues opened a whole world for me. Finding their brand of traditional Irish music blended with punk rock was like discovering a new home—comfortable yet dangerous, familiar yet mysterious. So it is such a tremendous honor to w...
Mark as Played
If you’ve ever felt like there’s just not enough time in the day, that the world is crashing down and you’re feeling more pressure than you can handle, have I got the song for you. In this episode of For Songs Singles, I welcome back Lisset Diaz of the Havana-by-way-of-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project (www.sweetlizzyproject.com). Lisset discusses the band’s dynamite new single, Somebody Wake Me When It’s Over. The song is a musi...
Mark as Played
Sometimes life comes full circle. In this episode of For Songs, I welcome back Louisiana-based singer/songwriter Louis Michot of the traditional Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Louis first appeared on the show in Fall 2020, at the height of the pandemic. He didn’t know it at the time but he was in the midst of writing and recording his first solo album. Three years later, Louis has just released Reve du Troubadour, which is Caj...
Mark as Played
The sun is out, life is returning to normal and our favorite bands are back on tour. Not even two years ago this seemed like an impossible dream, as I’ve chronicled on this show. But here we are, in Summer 2023, and things seem, well, pretty good. A new day is dawning. Just ask acclaimed multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter Dom Flemons (www.theamericansongster.com), who released his brilliant solo record Traveling Wildfire this ...
Mark as Played
Music, not unlike life, is about the journey rather than the destination. And perhaps no artist I’ve interviewed knows that better than Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones (https://www.ianjonesmusic.com/). A true song craftsman, Ian knows that getting your big break in the music industry is about luck and being in the right place at the right time. But more than anything, you need killer songs. And while Ian hasn’t quite stru...
Mark as Played
The best thing about music is no matter how old you are, no matter how long you’ve been listening and loving music, you can still hear something that will stop you in your tracks. Which is what happened to me a few months ago when London-based singer/songwriter Emma Noble’s latest single Break Down the Walls jumped out of my Spotify feed. It was an old-school sound with a fresh twist. Or maybe it was a fresh, new vibe with an old-s...
Mark as Played
Join me as former Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy makes his long-awaited return not only to this show but to the music industry as a whole! In this episode, Dan talks about his new band the Scarlet Goodbye (https://thescarletgoodbye.com/) and its brand-spanking new debut album Hope’s Eternal. The band is a duo, with Dan being joined by fellow Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeff Arundel. Dan left Soul Asylum and the music biz about ...
Mark as Played
Remember last fall? When indie-rock legend Paleface and his partner/drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot came onto the show to discuss their crowdfunding campaign for their new album? Well you should! And guess what? The campaign was a success and the new album is out! Beyond the Bells was released in mid-February, and man is it fantastic. Drawing inspiration from his entire career, which began in the late 80s and early 90s in New York, Bey...
Mark as Played
From New Orleans to “Fakersfield,” Mark Bingham has seen it all. The sought-after producer, songwriter, guitarist, arranger, etc., has literally rubbed elbows with music royalty. Bands like REM, artists like Dr. John, Marianne Faithfull have all called on Mark to produce, arrange, you name it. All the while, Mark wrote his own music and now, he is at the beginning of an ambitious career retrospective project to release the 22 album...
Mark as Played
If you love music, if music changed your life, if music made you feel things you’ve never felt before, then this is the interview for you. Joining me once again is Lisset Diaz of the Cuban-by-way-of-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project. We discuss the band’s newest and long-awaited album Pirate Radio/Radio Pirata. Simply stated, this is album for the ages. Pirate Radio is a concept album that traces the life and consequences of a fi...
Mark as Played
There’s a moment in singer/songwriter Nora O’Connor’s new album My Heart when you realize just how special her talent is. By admission, the Chicago-based musician is more comfortable in the background, singing backup and playing various instruments with such Americana luminaries like Neko Case, the Decembrists, Robbie Fulks, among others. But for the first time in 18(!) years, Nora is back with a solo album—her third—called My Hear...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Good Game is your one-stop shop for the biggest stories in women’s sports. Every day, host Sarah Spain gives you the stories, stakes, stars and stats to keep up with your favorite women’s teams, leagues and athletes. Through thoughtful insight, witty banter, and an all around good time, Sarah and friends break down the latest news, talk about the games you can’t miss, and debate the issues of the day. Don’t miss interviews with the people of the moment, whether they be athletes, coaches, reporters, or celebrity fans.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.

    Crime Junkie

    If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc.