The Other 22 Hours

We often treat commercial success as the final destination of a creative life, but for legendary songwriter Matraca Berg, it was just the first act. She was the first woman to have five different country No. 1s in a single year and her songs have been recorded by everyone from Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, and Deana Carter to the Chicks, Chris Stapleton, and Reba McEntire. Matraca’s catalog defines generations of American songwriting.
We sit down the GRAMMY-nominated member of the Songwriting Hall of Fame to explore the realities of achieving massive success while battling paralyzing stage fright, the transition from the multi-platinum physical sales era of the 1990s to modern streaming, and how she keeps her creative tank full as the industry has changed around her. In a culture obsessed with youth and immediate output, Matraca offers a grounded, reassuring perspective on aging within an art form, artistic alignment, and learning to trust.
In This Episode:
Matraca Berg
Ep 147 - Jeff Hanna
Sudie Calloway
Mel Tillis
Joni Mitchell
Bluebird Cafe
Clint Black
Nanci Griffith
Ep 60 - Lori McKenna
Bobby Braddock
Harlan Howard
Ashley McBryde
Gary Harrison
Ep 28 - The Wood Brothers
Zach Berkman
Tiger King
Chris Stapleton
Ella Langley
Jessi Colter
Waylon Jennings
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Peter Sarsgaard
Hill Country Barbecue
Jake Gyllenhaal
Minnie Pearl

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Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
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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.

Behind nearly every influential indie-rock and pop record of the last 15 years has been the brilliant mind and hand of string arranger and multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose. The three-time GRAMMY winner has contributed to thousands of records by the likes of Paul Simon, Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, Bruce Hornsby, and Mumford & Sons. In this calming, deeply reflective conversation, Rob opens up about "peaking" in the live touring industry, the transition to a studio-centric life, and how fatherhood has introduced a powerful focus into his creative process. It is an exploration of legacy, creative boundaries, and why sustaining a 20-year career ultimately comes down to treating music not as an athletic feat, but as a deeply human relationship.
In This Episode:
Rob Moose
Manhattan School of Music
Columbia University
The New School
Interlochen Arts Academy
Nirvana
Bon Iver
SNL
Paul Simon
Madison Square Garden
Bowery Ballroom
‘The Artist’s Way’ - Julia Cameron
Nonesuch Records
Gabe Kahane

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.

To celebrate our 150th episode, we try a bit of an experiment: interviewing ourselves, for the first time. After nearly two decades of partnership, we examine the evolution of the creative self. Michaela Anne – whose fifth record, 'These Are The Days,' marks her first in over a 10 years for which she retains total ownership – discusses the "massive shift of self" required to walk away from industry gatekeepers. Aaron Shafer-Haiss, whose compositions have scored major network dramas like 'Station 19' and 'The Good Doctor,' reflects on the "utilitarian creativity" of a producer. It is a conversation about resilience, the "growth seesaw" of a creative marriage, and the realization that the dream is already happening.
In This Episode:
Michaela Anne
Aaron Shafer-Haiss
‘These Are The Days’
Ep 109 Major Jackson
Nonesuch Records
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
Bonnaroo
Cayamo
Mountain Stage
Folks Fest
Middle Tennessee State University
Owen Biddle
Seth Taylor
Ethan Ballinger
Kyshona
Lyle Davinsky
Lauren Balthrop
Post Malone

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.

Molly Tuttle has shared stages with Ringo Starr and Billy Strings, yet she still grapples with the unpredictable "ups and downs" of a musician's schedule, and the inherent instability of the road. We talk with the GRAMMY-winning artist, and first woman to win IBMA Guitarist of the Year, about the "baggage" of turning a passion into a profession. We explore the necessity of trusting one's gut over industry expectations, how she navigates the transition from bluegrass traditionalism to rock-leaning solo projects, and the quiet power of a partner who understands the nuance of tour routing.
In This Episode:
Molly Tuttle
Nonesuch Records
Tyler Childers
Berklee College of Music
Ep 3 - The Milk Carton Kids
The Goodbye Girls
The Stray Birds
Ozark Mountain Folk Center
First Ladies of Bluegrass
Alison Brown
Ep 50 - Sierra Hull
Missy Raines
Becky Buller
Ketch Secor
Old Crow Medicine Show
Chris Stapleton
Ep 28 - The Wood Brothers

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.

Ray Benson is an absolute pillar of American music, a nine-time GRAMMY winner whose band, Asleep at the Wheel, has defined western swing for over half a century. In this conversation, we talk with Ray about the "geographical imperative," rebuilding his career from a broke-down bus to a musical institution, and the delicate balance between the craft of music and the business of image. This is an exploration of longevity, team building, and the importance of finding a "moral compass" in leadership.
In This Episode:
Ray Benson
Asleep at the Wheel
Peter, Paul, and Mary
Pete Seeger
Woody Guthrie
Van Cliburn
Lester Flatt
Marty Stuart
Marc Copland
Paul Motian
John Abercrombie
George Strait
Vince Gill
Tower Records
“The Letter Johnny Walker Read”
Merle Haggard
Lawrence Wright
Mumford and Sons
Aaron Dessner
T.S. Elliot
Health Alliance for Austin Musicians
Chris Scruggs
Molly Tuttle
Ep 86 - Tommy Emmanuel

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.