Pat Sansone: Listening to the Light

Pat Sansone has always lived at the intersection of melody and meaning. In this episode, Pat joins the show to talk about the long-awaited return of The Autumn Defense, the harmony-rich project he shares with John Stirratt. We trace the new record’s roots through years of friendship, shared playlists, and late-night rediscovery — and back even further to Pat’s Mississippi upbringing, where R.E.M. and Big Star first expanded his sense of what Southern music could be.

Along the way, Pat reflects on his work with Wilco, his syndicated radio show Baroque Down Palace, and his passion for film photography. He shares how observation, patience, and gratitude shape both his images and his songs, and why creativity, at its best, feels a little like “flailing closer to God.”

It’s a deep dive into harmony, memory, and the quiet joy of making art that endures — from the studio to the stage to the backroads of Mississippi.

• Check out Here and Nowhere by The Autumn Defense
• Check out Pat's photography
• Check out Baroque Down Palace, Pat's radio show