SONG DIVING - An American Songwriter Podcast

We get into the stories behind songs like “Second Chance,” “In Memory,” “Fly from the Inside,” and new songs like “Young Again” and “Searchlight.”And talk about the years-long journey that led to Shinedown, writing hundreds of songs before finally breaking through, and the determination it took to keep going.Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how Brent hears and writes songs, from The Ramones and Soundgarden to Jim Croce and Otis Redding.It’s a conversation about finding your voice, trusting your instincts, and chasing what’s out there.
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We dive in with Jason Mraz to talk about songs like “I’m Yours,” “I Won’t Give Up,” “Lucky,” and “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” and we get into songwriting as meditation, creative prompts as a doorway into inspiration, and the joy and doubt that can come with a song that suddenly arrives all at once.We also geek out on the music and voices that shaped the way he hears and writes songs, from Michael Jackson and Ani DiFranco to Willie Nelson and the humor and warmth of Hee Haw playing at his grandmother’s house.Along the way we talk about how songwriting began as a “parlor trick” for his friends, how he almost didn’t believe in “I’m Yours,” and why now is the right time to share the gospel album he originally recorded as a Christmas gift for his grandmother.It’s a conversation about the songs that heal us, the songs that surprise us, and what can happen when you let yourself become an instrument for inspiration.
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We dive in with Taj Mahal to talk about songs like “Queen Bee,” “Loving in My Baby’s Eyes,” and “Mailbox Blues,” and how they grow out of the lineage of African and American music.Along the way, we explore the artists who shaped how he hears and writes, from Ray Charles to Jimmy Reed to Etta James to Mississippi John Hurt.We talk about finding your own voice, trusting instinct, and why tempo can shape everything.And we talk about his new album Time, including his take on an unreleased Bill Withers song, Bob Marley’s “Talking Blues,” and how “Sweet Lorene” gives a nod to Otis Redding.It’s a conversation about roots and feel. In Taj Mahal’s words, “Do you feel it or do you not feel it?
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We dive in with Andrew Farriss of INXS to talk about songs like “Need You Tonight,” “New Sensation,” and “Never Tear Us Apart,” and how those songs came together during the making of their album Kick, which went on to sell over 20 million records.Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how he hears and writes songs, from The Beatles, who he saw live as a kid before they broke big, to the threatening groove of The Rolling Stones, to the complex simplicity of Simon & Garfunkel.We talk about writing with Michael Hutchence, a poet turned lyricist who started with an aversion to singing and ultimately became one of the greatest frontmen of all time.We also talk about trusting instinct over rules, and how one of their biggest hits began with an extra bar added by accident while rushing out to catch a cab.It’s a conversation about restraint, feel, and how moments you can’t plan turn into songs that last.
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We dive in with Hiss Golden Messenger to talk about songs like “Cracked Windshield,” “It Will If We Let It,” and “Heavy World” from his new album “I’m People.”Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how he hears and writes songs, from Eric B. & Rakim and Low to Waylon Jennings and Curtis Mayfield.We talk about how groove became a foundation early on, writing toward the question instead of the answer, and learning to hold joy and sorrow at the same time.It’s a conversation about feel and reflection, holding two things at once, and the songs that live somewhere in between. 
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