Joe Pug - Apple Podcasts

The Working Songwriter

The Working Songwriter

Joe Pug

1d ago

Gary Louris

Our guest this week is one of the godfathers of modern roots and Americana music. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Gary Louris moved to Minneapolis as a young man in the 1970s and immersed himself in a Twin Cities music scene that punched way above its weight culturally. His group, The Jayhawks, would release a string of critically acclaimed and nationally beloved albums. One of Louris’s main gifts is his ability to contribute to the music of a wide array of artists, including Counting Crows, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, Roger McGuinn, The Wallflowers, The Black Crowes, Nickel Creek and a host of others. As a member of the Jayhawks he’s appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. He’s recorded for what sounds like an anthology of record labels: Twin/Tone, American Recordings, Rykodisc, Lost Highway, Thirty Tigers, Rounder, Sony and New West Records. Over the years he’s appeared at Farm Aid, Stagecoach, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky festival. AllMusic calls him “one of the premiere songwriters of his generation.” The Bluegrass Situation, our host network, has written about him as a “musical Swiss Army knife.” Pitchfork has written that he and Mark Olson, his musical partner in the Jayhawks, “sang like they were born joined at the throat.” It’s an immense honor to have Gary on the show. I got a chance to catch up with him a few weeks ago to hear about his musical journey so far. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
Aug 28

Classic Episode - Chuck Ragan

This episode originally aired on April 15th, 2022 This songwriter has spent the last few decades building a devoted following with Hot Water Music and also with his own solo project. He discusses getting his start in the 1990s Florida Hardcore scene, getting his legendary Revival Tour off the ground, and some of his creative practices.
Aug 21

Fruit Bats return!

Our guest this week is one of Chicago’s favorite sons. Eric D. Johnson is the songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist behind Fruit Bats, which started in the late 1990s as a four-track recording project before growing into a full touring band. Over the years, Johnson has been a member of The Shins and played with Califone and Vetiver. Besides Fruit Bats, Johnson is also one-third of Bonny Light Horseman alongside Anaïs Mitchell and Josh Kaufman. Fruit Bats have toured with acts including Modest Mouse, The Shins, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, Son Volt, Ray LaMontagne and Guster. Bonny Light Horseman’s debut album earned two Grammy nominations in 2020 for Best Folk Album and Best American Roots Performance ("Deep in Love"). NPR described Fruit Bats as “sweetly flavored folk-pop.” Pitchfork wrote that Johnson has “got a good ear for a classic melody.” And Relix called him “a veteran of the contemporary folk-rock world” with an “instantly recognizable voice.” I got a chance to catch up with Eric about his journey since our last talk! Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
Jul 10

Gabe Dixon and Mike Mattison of the Tedeschi Trucks Band

Our guests this week are Gabe Dixon and Mike Mattison of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, the Grammy-winning roots ensemble led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Formed in 2010, their debut album, Revelator, won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album, and the group has since become one of the country’s premier live bands, selling out Madison Square Garden and playing more than twenty shows at Red Rocks. Mike Mattison has been working with Derek Trucks for more than two decades. He joined the Derek Trucks Band as lead vocalist in the early 2000s and became a founding member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. He is also one of the group’s principal lyricists and co-wrote one of its best-known songs, “Midnight in Harlem.” Keyboardist, singer and songwriter Gabe Dixon joined the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2019. Before that, he led the Gabe Dixon Band and built a solo career of his own. Within Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dixon has become a key songwriter, vocalist and instrumentalist. The band has appeared on Austin City Limits, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live NPR called the band “a deeply skilled and spirited ensemble,” while Rolling Stone has praised its “freewheeling, soulful sound.” I got a chance to catch up with Gabe and Mike to hear about their musical journeys so far.
Aug 7

Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons

Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter hails from a small mountain town in California, but his music has now made it across the world. Jay Buchanan got his start in the early 2000s with a solo project before joining ranks with a rock band and forming Rival Sons. Since 2008, that group has built a remarkable fanbase and beloved discography. Rival Sons have shared stages with an astonishing list of artists including Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Queens of the Stone Age, Metallica, and Lenny Kravitz. They’ve appeared on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden,' 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' 'Later... with Jools Holland,' and France’s 'Le Grand Journal.' The band earned two GRAMMY nominations in 2020 for Best Rock Album – for 'Feral Roots' – and Best Rock Performance for “Too Bad.” 'The Guardian' called Buchanan “a revelation” and “a mesmerising presence throughout.” 'Revolver' called him “an undeniable vocal force," and 'Classic Rock' praised his 2026 solo debut, 'Weapons of Beauty,' as “a remarkable journey through soul music, country rock, southern gothic and gospel.” I got a chance to catch up with Jay a few weeks ago to hear about that solo album and about the rest of his musical journey so far. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
Aug 14

Classic Episode - Frank Turner

This episode was originally aired on April 8th, 2022. Fresh on the heels of his latest album hitting #1 on the UK Charts, this journeyman songwriter and performer stops by the show to discuss his beginnings in Hardcore music, many years of touring, and writing methods.
Jul 24

Chicago Farmer

Our guest this week is Cody Diekhoff, better known as Chicago Farmer. He grew up in the small farming community of Delavan, Illinois, before moving to Chicago in 2003. Over the past two decades, he has built a devoted following through relentless touring, first as a solo performer and more recently with his band, the Fieldnotes. Along the way, he has shared stages with Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider, Greg Brown, the Wood Brothers, Elizabeth Cook, Wayne Hancock, Greensky Bluegrass, Del McCoury and Gene Ween. His album Flyover Country was recorded with members of the Band of Heathens. and 2026’s Homeaid, his first full-length release in six years. Flyover Country Elmore Magazine says he has “the novelist’s gift of building a suspenseful story to a surprising conclusion.” No Depression declared: “If the Midwest is looking for a voice, the search is over.” And the Chicago Tribune praised him for “some of the better roots songwriting in Chicago today.” Cody is a very very old friend of mine. We were both coming up in the Chicago folk music scene 20 years ago. He’s one of my favorite modern artists. And he should have been on this podcast many years ago by now. I got a chance to catch up with him on the phone a few weeks ago to hear about his journey so far.
Jul 31

Classic Episode - Allison Russell

This episode was originally aired on June 18th, 2021. After many years in celebrated roots music groups such as Po' Girl, Birds of Chicago, and Our Native Daughters, this songwriter has released a critically acclaimed debut album under her own name.
Jul 17

Classic Episode - They Might Be Giants

This episode originally aired on November 5th, 2021. John Flansburgh, one of the founding members of this groundbreaking indie-rock institution, stops by the show to talk about his creative process and how his band has navigated the music business for the last four decades.
Jun 26

Novelist, Stephen Markley

This week on The Working Songwriter, we're thrilled to step out of our normal comfort zone by welcoming one of the country's most acclaimed young novelists. Originally from Mount Vernon, Ohio, author Stephen Markley now makes his home in Los Angeles. He attended Miami University (of Ohio) for his undergraduate degree before being accepted into the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop. Simon & Schuster published his debut novel, 'Ohio,' in 2018. The book was widely praised for its unflinching portrait of post-9/11 rust-belt America. Then, in 2023, he returned with the massively popular novel, 'The Deluge,' a work of ficiton about climate change that 'The New York Times' named as one of its notable books. 'The NYT Book Review' also said that, "'The Deluge 'shows the range of its author's gifts: polyphonic narration, silken sentences and elaborate world-building." Of the same book none other than Stephen King said, "[It is] simply put a modern classic. If you read it you'll never forget it." He also named it as the favorite book he had read the year that he read it. Markley also works as a screenwriter in LA as a member of the writers room for the Hulu comedy series 'Only Murders in the Building,' which stars Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez. What a thrill it is to welcome onto the show such a profoundly talented artist who falls outside our normal realm of expertise... I think there's a lot for songwriters to learn on this cross-discipline episode of the podcast. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
Jan 30

Classic Episode: John Moreland

This episode originally aired on August 31, 2018. The Tulsa troubadour describes his transition from hardcore music to folk, how to put on a compelling live show solo, and staying inspired even when the creative process is painful.
Apr 24

Classic Episode - John Craigie

This episode was originally aired on August 14th, 2020. This troubadour based in Portland OR has carved out a national audience for his heartfelt, wry folk songs. He speaks about crafting his shows, keeping them fresh night to night, and recording albums in an unconventional way.
09/28/2018

Ian Mackaye

The founding member of Minor Threat, Fugazi, and Dischord records sits down to talk about the mild "writer's block" that parenthood can usher in, the reality of not being able to control people's interpretation of songs once they're released, and the practicality of his storied business ethos.
May 1

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter hails from my neck of the woods, Washington, D.C. Mary Chapin Carpenter got her start in the proto-Americana music scene of 1970s and '80s D.C. She broke out of that local circuit with her signing to Columbia Records; her debut album went quadruple platinum. She’s toured with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Rosanne Cash, she’s won five GRAMMY Awards, two CMA Awards, and two Academy of Country Music Awards. Her song, “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” went to the top of the country radio charts. Chapin Carpenter has appeared on the Late Night with David Letterman and Rolling Stone calls her "one of the most grounded, sentient songwriters of her generation." NPR has said that she’s “a singular voice in country and folk” and the New York Times praises her “intelligent, literate songwriting with emotional depth.” Simply put, she’s an all-timer. I got a chance to catch up with her earlier this year and hear about her musical journey so far. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
Jun 12

Dale Watson

Our guest this week was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but, just like Davey Crockett, got to Texas as soon as he could. Dale Watson began his musical career playing the clubs of Houston before decamping to Austin and becoming a fixture in the live music capital of the world. The music machine in Nashville never fully embraced Watson’s traditionalist combination of Western swing, rockabilly, and country, but he’s built a devoted cult following the world over on his own. It’s a style of music that he calls “Ameripolitan.” Watson has toured with all the greats: Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. He’s appeared on The Late Show with David Lettermen, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and of course Austin City Limits. He’s performed at Stagecoach, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and a host of other festivals. He was a 2005 Austin Music Hall of Fame inductee and he was awarded the title of Texas State Musician in 2007. He founded the Ameripolitan Music Awards in 2014. The Austin Chronicle calls him their “local honky tonk hero” and Saving Country Music says that “Dale Watson is all about keeping the honky tonk traditions alive.” I got a chance to catch up with Watson a few months ago to hear about his musical journey so far. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
08/20/2021

Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls

This legendary folk songwriter stops by the show to discuss her techniques for sculpting melody, structuring the bridge of a song, and navigating the ever-shifting sands of the music business.
07/29/2022

Dan Bern

The legendary folk troubadour who has written for projects as diverse as "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" and The Tony Kornheiser show, stops by to talk about his early years getting started, signing to a major label in the '90s, and the creative process that allows him to be so prolific.
Jun 5

Classic Episode - Marcus King

This Greenville, South Carolina native is a Grammy-nominated troubadour known for his tireless touring schedule. Originally aired on December 18th, 2020.
May 8

Classic Episode - Kevin Morby

The Kansas City bred songwriter tells the story of his journey toward his distinctive brand of indie rock. This episode originally aired on October 9, 2020.
Jul 3

Classic Episode - Robert Finley

This episode was originally published on March 5th, 2021. The renowned troubadour from Louisiana found his commercial success in music later in life; he reflects on the journey that brought him to that peak. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods

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