Journey of a Song

"If I got money every time you're on my mind, I swear I'd have more money than a single dime."

Do lyrics need to rhyme? Can a song be both funny and profound? Is there a right way to build a composition?

In this episode, Emmeline sits down with urban boy band, The Kid Brothers (TKB), to tackle these questions and more through the lens of their brand new single, "Divine." Comprised of ...

"Thick skin, now healed."

Midway through this episode of Journey of a Song, Cari Smith of Late to the Station leaned back on her stool and said, "The price I was paying internally [not to make music] became too high. I am here for a reason, and if I think this is it, to not do it would be an absolute waste."

Emmeline invites you to scribble that down on a Post-It and tape it to your bathroom m...

"I love how it feels to be wild."

Can you really package a deep, meaningful message about the perils of conforming to social convention in a slick, spooky Halloween jam? Genre-bending, independent, Denton-based musical artist Brian Lambert says yes.

Back for his second appearance on Journey of a Song, Brian chats with Emmeline about how an exploration of major chords turned into a well-crafted werewolf ...

"Eyes of burgundy..."

This line was in Dorian Marsh's head from the inception of his collaboration with guitarist Ian Ross Cohen. He liked something about the turn of phrase, something about the concept of elusive, alluring eyes that forced him to proclaim, "I love her so."

Dorian didn't choose to sleep on the idea, though; he leaned into the unknown and went with it.

In th...

"If all I have is you, I'd be the richest girl in the room..."

Sometimes, a song starts as a single idea with a slew of metaphors, laid neatly into a note on an iPhone. You don't need more ideas, or better words; you just need a friend to help you pare it down.

For Americana artist Sarah Johnson, that's how her latest single--a love song, just in time for Valentine's Day--began. In t...

"Is there any love after death?" 

How can we move through grief? How can we honor our lost loved ones without allowing ourselves to be consumed by the past? How can we hold space for the memory of those we've lost and allow ourselves to live full, joyful, and meaningful lives?

For indie rock artist Chloe Clemente, the struggle to answer these questions manifested in the powerful "Love Letters ...

"We're running fast on streets with cracks in 'em."

How do you grow older gracefully? Can you preserve a bit of childhood as adulthood looms? Can you ever run with childlike abandon as an adult? Does progress always come at a cost?

In "Ms. Clavel," the thoughtful waltz from her new album, Wake, singer-songwriter Katherine Paterson poses these questions and more through the lens of a ...

"What a beautiful day out here in the park."

Inspiration for a song can come from anywhere around us is we stay open and curious. There's also a lot to be said for allowing oneself to surrender to a vibe.

In this episode, innovative songwriter and producer Daniel Candiotta sits down with Emmeline to talk about how the gift of breadsticks one fateful day led him to compose an entire EP. He also disc...

"Where does the wind take you?"

Have you ever wanted something so badly, needed something so badly, that despite your best attempts, the need overtook you?  In the atmospheric, immersive "Ikarus," ¿Dónde está Alicia? explores Icarus's narrative from Greek mythology from this perspective of deep yearning.

In this episode, Journey of a Song goes bilingual! Emmeline sits down with Javier Nun...

"Deep in the woods, things aren’t always what they seem..." 

Songs might usually have some sort of emotional impetus, some big feeling that catapults them into being--but not all songs start with a feeling. Not all songs are initially borne from that place deep down inside of us that says, "See me. Hear me. Know me."

Some songs start, quite simply, with a prompt.

In this episode, folk and Americ...

"You were the spark that set my world on fire."

The best thing about songwriting is that it's honest. When we dig deep down to write from an authentic emotional place, songwriting always tells us the truth. Sometimes, it helps us find elusive truths.

In Episode #36 of Journey of an Artist, Tony Mendoza shared the beautiful story of the magical love he shared with his wife, Angela. In this episode ...

"I think I'll cancel my plans today, so I can drive and see your face."

Sometimes, a song starts with a line. Sometimes, it starts with a melody. For Dallas-based singer-songwriter Remy Reilly, "What Do Ya Know" started with a vibe.

She knew the sound she wanted, and she knew the collaborator she wanted: Jonathan Tyler of Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. The two spent an afternoon ...

"I'm gonna thrive, just because I'll fight."

Maybe you need some encouragement. Maybe you need someone to remind you that you're not defined by your insecurities. Maybe you need to take a deep breath, screw up your courage, and invest in yourself.

In her moments of doubt, Chloe Clemente wrote "Angels Cry"--and she wants her new single to be your motivation to become your best se...

"Somehow I don't think you'll ever love anyone but you."

How can you combine caustic wit and heartfelt honesty in a song? What do you do when you've got a story without a chorus? Can you write an authentic and meaningful song to a prompt?

Douglas Allen has these answers and more.

In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Douglas Allen to discuss his post-relationship anthem, "...

"I keep finding pieces below the surface, working their way out."

We're all searching for purpose. We're all desperate for meaning.

In "Hattertown Road," Austin-based songwriter Kris Schultz articulates that yearning and shares how beautiful it can be to be given the space to search. In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Kris to talk about how some songs depict familial relationsh...

"What is it like to know it’s okay if you go slow?"

What does anxiety feel like? What does it sound like?

When is it over?

In "Until Home," Alyssa Gillen tackles these questions and more, writing in a very personal way about the effort we make to be put together, socially acceptable, and productive.

In this episode, Emmeline and Alyssa talk about persistent melodic ideas, the ...

"What am I supposed to do when you look at me like that, like you know my whole life and you still want to hear it?"

Have you ever had feelings that you weren't sure were requited? Have you ever been reluctantly drawn to a relationship that broke you wide open?

In "American Denim," songwriter Sam Cormier seeks to navigate those feelings with innovative, open guitar tunings and sweeping mel...

"Now that the peas have grown tall, and they don't reach the land of giants..."

Disappointment. Gratitude. Loss. Grief. Joy. Pride. Hope.

We humans are complex, messy creatures, and all of these feelings can co-exist in us. In "Bloom," the mandolin-driven title track from her debut EP, singer-songwriter Katherine Paterson seeks to give voice to all of these warring emotions in a sparse, s...

"Freedom is ours to be found."

What makes a home? A sense of peace and security? The presence of people we love? Delicious solitude?

How can we find our own home? Better yet, how can we build our home?

Along with her talented band, The Morning Dew, Austin-based singer-songwriter Melissa Gail Klein explores these questions in "Home," the title track from her upcoming album.  A meditat...