Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Lumineers front man and two-time Grammy nominee Wesley Schultz goes deep on his passion for songwriting. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott tell the harrowing tale of the Wesley Schultz interview that almost didn't happen. Plus, do you have a question for Patty Griffin, Dave Mason, or Mary Chapin Carpenter? Share it with us and you just might hear your name on an upcoming episode! 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Wesley Schultz. 

ABOUT ...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2017 conversation with Jimmy Webb. 

ABOUT JIMMY WEBB

Jimmy Webb emerged as a superstar songwriter and arranger in 1967 when two of his songs – The 5th Dimension’s “Up, Up and Away” and Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” - were among the five nominees for the Grammy’s So...

Grammy-winning songwriter and Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner chats about his process, from the earliest days of the band to to the most recent album, Slowly But Shirley 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about movie soundtracks, music discovery, and how technology changes but the power of music endures.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum.

ABOUT DAVE PIRNER
Dave Pirner is best known as the lead singer, front...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with Steve Perry. 

ABOUT STEVE PERRY
One of the most iconic voices in rock music history, Steve Perry is best known as the lead singer of the band Journey during the group’s most successful period. His first Top 20 pop hit as either a performer or songwriter was t...

GRAMMY winner Suzanne Vega talks "Luka," "Tom's Diner," her first studio album in more than a decade, and much more! 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott talk about the pop culture museum in Seattle, as well as Nirvana, Soundgarden, the diner in Seinfeld, canned green beans, and other important stuff. 

PART TWO
Scott's in-depth conversation with Suzanne Vega

ABOUT SUZANNE VEGA
GRAMMY winner Suzanne Vega is best known for “Luka,” which was a top 5 po...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. 

ABOUT JIMMY JAM & TERRY LEWIS

With 26 Billboard #1 R&B hits and 16 Billboard #1 pop hits to their credit, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are perhaps the most influential and successful songwriting and production duo in modern music histor...

Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz explains how his songwriting process has changed over the years, and offers insights into some of his songs, from early classics to recent compositions. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott discuss judging a book by its cover and their possible status as idiots. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Adam Duritz

ABOUT ADAM DURITZ:
Songwriter Adam Duritz is best known as the lead singer of Counting Crows, which...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with Peter Frampton. 

ABOUT THIS BONUS EPISODE
The exceedingly generous and gentlemanly Peter Frampton talks about David Bowie giving him his very first job; Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones getting him into a recording studio for the first time; stumbling into se...

Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood chats about his band, the evolution of his songwriting process, and his most recent solo album.

PART ONE
Water. Bed. Rock!!!

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Patterson Hood

ABOUT PATTERSON HOOD
Muscle Shoals, Alabama, native Patterson Hood is best known, along with Mike Cooley, as the co-founder of the band Drive-By Truckers. Drawing from a range of rock and country influences, the group...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2015 conversation with Swamp Dogg.  

ABOUT SWAMP DOGG
R&B cult favorite Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams is best known as the co-writer, with Gary U.S. Bonds, of the cross-genre classic, “She’s All I Got,” which became a Top 10 R&B single for Freddie North and a #2 country hit for Johnn...

Six-time Grammy winner and Toto co-founder David Paich joins us to talk about his life as a hit songwriter for his own band and others.

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul talk about their visit with David Paich and other bits of tomfoolery.

PART TWO: 
Our in-depth conversation with David Paich

ABOUT DAVID PAICH:
David Paich is best known as one of the founding members of Toto, and the writer of some the group’s classic hits such as “Africa,” “Rosa...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with Linda Perry.  
 

ABOUT LINDA PERRY

Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Linda Perry first made her mark as an artist, serving as lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the group 4 Non Blondes, which is best known for t...

Three-time Grammy nominee and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James joins us to talk about the evolution of his songwriting and the band's new album, Is. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about ideal song length and extend an invitation to Taylor Swift 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Jim James

ABOUT JIM JAMES:
Jim James is best known as the frontman of the band My Morning Jacket, which he formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. As ...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2015 conversation with Bill Withers.  

ABOUT BILL WITHERS
Pop and R&B legend Bill Withers released nine albums between 1971 and 1985 that included such classic songs as “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Grandma’s Hands,” “Use Me,” “Lovely Day,” and “Just the Two of Us.” Though he...

Guster's Ryan Miller discusses his songwriting process before Scott, Paul, and Ryan go totally off the rails on 80s pop songs, Sebastian Bach, and other random stuff. One of the most fun interviews we've had in a while! 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about the time Paul opened for Guster, their friend who met his wife thanks to Guster fandom, and the phenomenon of social cultures forming around certain performers. 

PART TWO:
Our in-dep...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with Dan Nigro. 

ABOUT DAN NIGRO:
Dan Nigro is a record producer and songwriter who has produced and written songs for and with Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Sky Ferreira, Joe Jonas, Kylie Minogue, Lewis Capaldi, Caroline Polacheck, Dermot Kennedy, Maisie Peters,...

Best known for his song "Electric Love" (with nearly 2 BILLION streams on Spotify!), BØRNS took some time off and has now reinvented his sound with a fantastic new EP. 

PART ONE: 
Paul and Scott talk about Omnivore Recordings, a new Buck Owens LP, who they wouldn't want to invite over to Songcraft world headquarters, and other random stuff. 

PART TWO: 
Our in-depth conversation with BØRNS

ABOUT BØRNS:
Michigan native and Los Angeles base...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with Lucinda Williams. 

ABOUT LUCINDA WILLIAMS
One of the most revered songwriters on the face of the earth, Lucinda Williams was once crowned “America’s Best Songwriter” by People magazine. She first gained widespread attention after Mary Chapin Carpenter made he...

Six-time Grammy winner, Academy Award nominee, and Songwriters Hall of Famer Glen Ballard joins us to talk about his work with Michael Jackson, Alanis Morrisette, Dave Matthews, and many others!

PART ONE
Paul and Scott talk about the awesomeness that is Omnivore Recordings, dig into the Fire Aid concert, and talk about their '90s music geekery. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Glen Ballard

ABOUT GLEN BALLARD
Following an entry-le...