The Other 22 Hours

With two Grammy Awards, 15 number-one singles, and a songwriting catalog recorded by legends like Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, and Waylon Jennings, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Rodney Crowell stands as one of Americana's most enduring icons. Yet, after 50 years in Nashville, Rodney’s relationship to his craft is grounded not in recognition, but in the quiet, daily act of showing up.
In this conversation from 2023, Rodney reflects on the early years of roaming Nashville alongside Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt to evolving past the need for applause, the spiritual discipline of 7-day vision quests, and why a song can take 40 years to finally tell you what it wants to be.
In This Episode:
Rodney Crowell
Jedd Hughes
Marty Stuart
JD Miller's Recording Studio
Wilburn Brothers
Emmylou Harris
Guy Clark
Mickey Newbury
Bob Seger

Go Deeper:
Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:
The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).
More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits: 
Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and author Mary Gauthier, whose songs have been recorded by everyone from Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton to Boy George and Jimmy Buffett, joins us for a deeply resonant exploration of life, survival, and craft. Starting her songwriting journey at age 40 after a successful career as a chef and restaurant owner, Mary offers a deeply grounded perspective on what it means to build a long-haul artistic life.
Originally aired in August 2023 as Episode 27, we are revisiting this favorite conversation from our archive to unpack her 33-year journey in recovery, the necessity of patience in art and persistence in business, and how songwriting serves as a container for processing trauma and bridging human divides.
In This Episode:
Mary Gauthier
Songwriting With Soldiers 
'Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting'
Ep 152 - Matraca Berg
Ep 43 - Gretchen Peters
Beth Nielsen Chapman
Liz Rose
Patty Griffin
Neko Case

Go Deeper:
Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.
The Hosts:
The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).
More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.
Credits: 
Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

This week, we dive into our archives for this special reissue of our conversation with GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, activist, and chef Ruby Amanfu. Known for her profound collaborations with H.E.R., Brandi Carlile, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé, Ruby has navigated the highest peaks of the music industry while fiercely protecting her inner peace. In this episode, we explore the structural collisions that force us to speak our truth, the reality of reclaiming your identity outside of financial validation, and what happens when we finally release our death grip on how we thought our lives would look.
In This Episode:
Ruby Amanfu
Sam and Ruby
Porter’s Call
Andy Little
MusiCares
Lee Ann Womack
Willie Nelson
Love Rising Concert

Go Deeper:
Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.
The Hosts:
The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).
More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.
Credits: 
Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

What happens when creative people stop looking for a seat at the table and build a table of their own? For generations society has treated an artist's life as an economic sideline, a romanticized piecemeal struggle. Today, we are witnessing a structural revolution. With Colorado recently passing the nation's first Artist Corporation legislation (the Colorado Artist Company Act) in June 2026, we are reissuing our definitive conversation with the architect of that very movement, Yancey Strickler.
As the co-founder of Kickstarter, Metalabel, and the Artist Corporations Foundation, Yancey has dedicated his life to equipping creators with the structural tools to act as real entrepreneurs. In this expansive conversation, we trace the line between blue-collar artistry and private equity, explore why the industry trades meaning for convenience, and look closely at how interdependent networks can finally break the cycle of artistic exploitation.
In This Episode:
Yancey Strickler
A-Corps
Colorado Legislation, June 2026
MetaLabel
The Creative Independent
Hipgnosis
Nirvana
The Royal Alberta Advantage
Ep 68 - Evan Honer
“All The King’s Men”
Virgil Abloh
Bentoism
CS Lewis - “The Inner Ring”

Go Deeper:
Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.
The Hosts:
The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).
More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.
Credits: 
Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

We often treat our creative identities like lanes, fearing that branching out looks like simple dilettantism. This week, we explore the delicate balance of identity and creative output with singer-songwriter Hrishikesh Hirway, the brilliant mind behind hit podcasts The West Wing Weekly and Home Cooking, as well as the globally-acclaimed Netflix series and podcast 'Song Exploder,' which features the likes of Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, REM, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Despite a decade of monumental success in the podcast and broadcast worlds, Hrishikesh found himself battling a quiet, profound depression born from leaving his primary identity as a singer-songwriter behind. He recently returned to music with his first album in 15 years and joins us for a beautifully tender conversation on breaking through a 10-year writer's block, navigating the vulnerability of cold-calling collaborators, and learning to sit comfortably within a "queer divine dissatisfaction."
In This Episode:
Hrishikesh Hirway
Song Exploder (Podcast / Netflix Series)
Alison Russell
Linda Ronstadt
Talking Heads
The Band
The Grateful Dead
Bob Dylan
Phil Weinrobe
Ep 117 - Maia Friedman
Jeff Tweedy - How to Write One Song (Book)
Carl Jung / Depth Psychology
The West Wing Weekly (Podcast)
Home Cooking (Podcast)
Samin Nosrat
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Book)
Josh Malina
Allison Janney
Jenny Owen Youngs
Yep Roc Records
John Mark Nelson
Matt Ross Spang (Memphis TED Talk)
Agnes de Mille
Martha Graham

Go Deeper:
Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:
The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).
More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits: 
Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.