Pursuing the Muse

Tom Compton

5.0 (3)
MUSIC INTERVIEWS
UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast about songwriting and the paths musicians take to get songs created.

MAR 20

Fr James Wallace

Welcome back to Pursuing the Muse! I’m your host, Tom Compton Today, we are exploring the intersection of faith and melody with Father James Wallace. He's a native of Winnetka, Illinois and a trained canon lawyer, Father James serves as pastor in the archdiocese of Chicago and a professor at Mundelein Seminary Today we'll be discussing how your favorite rock songs can be seen through a spiritual lens, why explicitly contemporary christian songs can sometimes fall flat, and the ancient debate between Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas on whether music is a divine gift or a potential danger. Let’s jump on in or as James Hetfield might say, "jump in the fire". --------------------------------------------------------------------- 00:00:00 - Show introduction 00:02:06 - Intro: Tom Compton welcomes Father James Wallace 00:03:25 - Catholic Priesthood and Credentials 00:04:12 - Finding God in Secular Music 00:05:36 - Lynyrd Skynyrd’s "Simple Man" as messenger 00:10:59 - Romantic Poetry and the Song of Songs 00:13:58 - Elvis Presley: Secular Love Songs for the Lord 00:15:27 - Bob Marley, the Trinity, and the Blessed Mother 00:18:37 - Saint Augustine’s "De Musica" 00:22:57 - Scriptural Roots of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix 00:24:25 - Toby Keith’s "I Love This Bar" Church Metaphor 00:26:14 - Thomas Aquinas and the Danger of Music 00:27:32 - The Grateful Dead: Authenticity and Idolatry 00:32:07 - Silence, Rest, and the Journey to God 00:35:40 - Finding Spirituality in Metallica 00:41:03 - The Metallica Ticket Lottery and Mosh Pit 00:43:38 - Deepening the Worship Experience in the Mass 00:47:26 - Objectivity in Beauty and Modern Art 00:50:00 - Lyrical Quality and Judas Priest 00:51:52 - Final Reflections: Reminding us of the Good and Beautiful 00:53:06 - Outro

53 min
MAR 13

Dhammarato

Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. This episode we're exploring bridging the world of music and the teachings of the Buddha. Our guest today is a retired Buddhist monk whose background includes being a college music major and a musician in the US Navy. His search for life's answers led him to the Thai Forest Buddhist tradition in the lineage of Bhikkhu Buddhadasa. In this episode, we'll reveal why stardom often creates more problems than it solves. We'll discover how complex music is built on simple repetition. And we'll learn why life can be better enjoyed once you put down the script that's handed to you. This is part 1 of a 3 part exploration of the spirituality in music. ----------------------------------------------------- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DhammaratoDhamma Dhammarato talk transcripts: https://dhammarato.com/ Discord community: https://discord.gg/cKjsU2Qp ----------------------------------------------------- 00:00:00 – Intro 00:01:56 – Welcome: Tom Compton welcomes retired monk Dhammarato 00:03:46 – Musical Roots: From playing for Red Skelton’s fans to studying fine arts at USC 00:05:18 – High Fidelity in the Navy: Recording in professional labs and transitioning toward computer science 00:08:04 – Searching for the Cure: Moving from clinical psychology to finding Goenka in India and Buddhadasa in Thailand 00:10:47 – The Retirement Hobby: Managing a global online sangha and publishing new books on the path 00:14:29 – Symptom Relief vs. Cure: Comparing modern psychotherapy to the Buddha’s actual solution for mental disease 00:15:50 – Defining the Dhamma: Prioritizing happiness in the present moment over future rewards 00:16:38 – The Illusion of Stardom: Why Hollywood success often leads to disaster rather than satisfaction 00:19:08 – Historical Hardships: Examining the difficult lives of legends like Mozart, Chopin, and Gershwin 00:20:43 – The Value of the Moment: Understanding that music's true worth exists only while it is being played 00:21:37 – Practicing the Mind vs. the Instrument: How a happy camper finds more joy in Chopsticks than a struggling pro finds in an Etude 00:25:45 – The Remorse of the Gambler: Analyzing how "loser's mentalities" and sadness dominate popular songwriting 00:27:57 – Uplifting the Tune: The need for more wholesome, celebratory music like "Joy to the World" 00:30:31 – Culture and Tone: How societal mentality, from post-war joy to modern rowdiness, reflects in musical genres 00:32:45 – Therapeutic Notes: Using songs like "Margaritaville" to own mistakes and develop a "Don't Worry, Be Happy" mindset 00:37:43 – The Simplicity of the One Thing: Debunking the Western "no pain, no gain" approach to meditation and sitting in pain 00:39:33 – Stripping the Infiltration: Moving past Hindu-influenced beliefs in reincarnation to live in one's own improved opinion of the world 00:41:01 – Shakespeare’s Stage: Putting down the "childhood script" to see the world as a hilarious comedy 00:43:11 – From Victim to Winner: Breaking the habit of dependency and victimhood to develop a "can-do" attitude 00:45:10 – Simple Success: Why finding inner happiness reduces the need for "shopaholic" behaviors and spending 00:46:25 – Looking for Love in Adulation: Nurturing oneself as a best friend rather than seeking validation from a crowd 00:48:38 – Finding the Sangha: Accessing Dhammarato’s 2,000+ videos and Discord community 00:54:19 – Success as a Mind State: How creating a habit of wholesome thoughts changes internal and external reality 00:57:41 – The Architecture of Sound: How Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony proves complexity is just repetition and variation of simplicity 01:01:01 – Defining Dharma: Understanding the "full body of everything" as the natural world 01:01:40 – Pursuing Openness: Re-envisioning "the Muse" as a flow of Dhamma through a prepared mind 01:05:04 – Outro: Closing remarks and final gratitude

1h 6m
MAR 6

Henry Conlon

Welcome to Pursuing the Muse; I’m your host, Tom Compton. Today, we’re joined by Henry Conlon, a Nashville-based artist originally from Long Island whose baritone voiced songs are helping him make a name for himself in the music world. Stay tuned as we discuss surviving an ice storm, the whirlwind experience of recording full albums in just two days, and the real-life newspaper obituary that inspired his meticulously crafted song, "Flowers for Josephine". Don’t go anywhere! ------------------------------------------------------------- https://henryconlonmusic.com/ https://instagram.com/henryconlonmusic https://www.facebook.com/henryconlon/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Pursuing the Muse: Henry Conlon Conversation Summary 00:00 – Intro 02:08 – Tom Compton welcomes Henry Conlon to Pursuing the Muse 02:21 – Surviving the Nashville Ice Storm 03:34 – Growing up on Long Island and the Northeast circuit 04:42 – Early musical beginnings: From piano to summer camp guitar 05:53 – The choice to write originals over covers 07:32 – Guitar style and influences: John Prine, The Replacements, and Bob Dylan 09:01 – Moving to Nashville: From Stella Blues to the Music City "graduating class" 11:15 – The Belmont University songwriting and music business experience 13:24 – Learning the recording process and the Nashville "Singles" culture 16:37 – A prolific 2025: Releasing 25 songs in 18 months 18:22 – Song spotlight: The "lonely poet" world of "Wild Dreams" 21:07 – Experimenting with tempo: Turning slow acoustic pieces into driving rock songs 25:02 – Writing without an instrument: Songcraft via voice memos and morning commutes 26:52 – The story arc of the American Wild record 29:52 – Defining the "American Wild": From the Utah desert to the musical frontier 32:23 – The Muse: Writing for his wife, Emily 34:45 – "Flowers for Josephine": Researching a 70-year Chicago love story 41:21 – Setting parameters vs. finding the "click" in songwriting 45:49 – Collaborating with producer Paul Ebersold 47:54 – Live-tracking methodology: Capturing the "human experience" in the studio 53:41 – Meeting Robert Earl Keen at a Nashville guitar store 56:41 – Life on the road: Opening for a legend across the country 01:00:09 – The Business Side: Wearing the hats of manager, booking agent, and roadie 01:03:48 – Where to find Henry Conlon and digital platforms 01:05:02 – Future goals: The 2026 record and upcoming live projects 01:06:33 – Outro & Closing Remarks

1h 7m
FEB 13

Jon Danforth

Welcome to Pursuing the Muse! Today, we are joined by a very special returning guest, Jon Danforth. An Arkansas native now living in Dallas, Jon is here to discuss his brand new LP, Natural State—a rootsy, nostalgic project six years in the making. Listen in as we discuss the 'bacon and birds' inspiration behind the lead single, how a 'weed bouquet' led to a life-changing confession of love, and the chilling true event that inspired the record's darkest track. And much more! --------------------------------------------- https://jondanforth.com https://jondanforth.bandcamp.com/ https://instagram.com/jonmdanforth https://www.facebook.com/jondanforthmusic/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/5w771fPotpeDtoppQXCIo9?si=V3AwDOVyR06UuMEB4kwgsA https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0gS-JGFmiSV07te0wPQKoA --------------------------------------------- • 00:00 – Intro and theme music. • 01:51 – Tom Compton welcomes Jon Danforth back to the show. • 00:02 – Discussion of Danforth’s third LP, Natural State. • 02:50 – The six-year songwriting timeline and studio process. • 04:00 – Exploring themes of nostalgia and calling back seasons of life. • 04:54 – The double meaning behind the title Natural State. • 05:54 – Track breakdown: "Kingfisher" and memories of Pinnacle Mountain. • 07:00 – Recurring themes of slowing down and living in the moment. • 07:54 – "Tall Grass": A slice-of-life song inspired by a Dallas backyard. • 09:42 – "Rest of My Life": A semi-fictionalized story about Jon’s wife. • 11:20 – "Eureka": Finding childlike wonder in Eureka Springs with his daughter. • 14:45 – Incorporating new instruments: Banjo and Fiddle. • 15:33 – The decision to chase a "folky, rootsy" record. • 17:26 – "Hot Springs Blues": Healing waters and breakup songs. • 19:12 – Creating an "old school saloon" vibe with piano and banjo. • 20:07 – The history of the Ohio Club and Hot Springs gangsters. • 20:51 – "Morgan Mountain": Co-writing with his sister, Amy. • 22:38 – The German meaning of "Morgan" and themes of tomorrow. • 23:47 – The challenges and learning curve of collaborative songwriting. • 27:15 – Songwriting vs. Poetry. • 28:17 – Lead Single: "Arkansas Sunrise" and capturing the "personal universal". • 32:15 – The "Bacon and Birds" inspiration. • 33:07 – "Two Rivers Park": A literal description of a "keeper moment". • 34:08 – The story of the "weed bouquet". • 35:44 – "Devil in the Den": A dark turn based on a true event. • 36:45 – Balancing darkness and light in album sequencing. • 38:43 – "The Springs": Spiritual transcendence and baptism imagery. • 41:04 – Connecting physical healing waters to spiritual restoration. • 42:07 – Discussion on the relationship between healing and escapism. • 44:05 – Maintaining simplicity without becoming "corny". • 47:28 – Rejecting the "commodity" of fast music for the "scenic route" of art. • 50:09 – "Hunting" for the next project while releasing the current one. • 52:16 – Natural State as a tribute to place. • 54:06 – Jon Danforth: Unofficial ambassador for Arkansas Tourism. • 57:23 – Memories of Bo’s Barbecue and local legends. • 58:14 – Future plans for regional shows and touring. • 59:11 – Outro: Where to find Jon Danforth and MySpace nostalgia

1h 1m
FEB 6

Gatorwater

Welcome back to Pursuing the Muse. Today, we’re joined by Gary Landess, frontman of the Chicago-based dirty blues rock quartet Gatorwater. Known for their slithering slide guitar and a rhythm section that thumps like a creature emerging from the swamp, the band recently released their heavy new album, Hydrophonic. In this episode, Gary reveals how a warped, unplayable guitar accidentally launched his signature slide style, the mystery of the real-life "Illinois Cowboy" and his spurs, and the family racing boat legacy that inspired the track "Ora Hula Ballroom". And much more... ------------------------------------------------------ https://www.instagram.com/gatorwaterband https://www.facebook.com/gatorwaterg/ https://gatorwater.bandcamp.com/ ------------------------------------------------------ • 00:00 - Intro • 02:02 - Welcoming Gary Landess, frontman of Gatorwater. • 02:27 - Hydrophonic release • 02:58 - The "Old New" Album • 04:15 - Shirk Studios: • 05:17 - Potions and Elixirs • 08:03 - Independent Release Strategy • 09:40 - Banking Music • 11:54 - Meet the Band: bassist Donovan Foote, harmonica Peter Beck, and drummer Olivia Beatty. • 13:23 - Collaborative Songwriting • 16:54 - Vocals and "Growls" • 22:36 - AI and the Future • 23:35 - The "Titanic Green" Resonator • 27:39 - Baritone Experimentation • 30:23 - From Drums to Guitar • 34:24 - "Faking It Till You Make It" • 39:25 - Musical Gateways • 42:25 - Defining the Sound • 43:54 - Modern Influence • 47:53 - "Illinois Cowboy" • 50:31 - "Ora Hula Ballroom" • 58:00 - Streaming Realities • 58:40 - Tales from Phyllis’ • 59:40 - Outro & Contact Info

1 hr
JAN 30

Justin Warfield

Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. Today, we are joined by the legendary Justin Warfield. From signing a solo deal at sixteen on Quincy Jones’s label to his global success with She Wants Revenge, Justin has spent thirty years navigating diverse genres. Stick around as we discuss how Beastie Boys made it safe for him to be a 'total weirdo' in early hip-hop, the 'perfect storm' involving Lady Gaga that gave his hit 'Tear You Apart' a massive second life, and the 'Willy Wonka' factory experience of the 90s London music scene. Justin has a new album out called "Deathrock Devotionals" under the band name Warfield. ------------------------------------------------ https://www.justinwarfield.com https://instagram.com/justinwarfield https://linktr.ee/justinwarfield https://justinwarfield.bandcamp.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_fKiWxtJFNyf0pXQc1vK_w https://cleopatrarecords.bandcamp.com/album/deathrock-devotionals ------------------------------------------------ • 00:00:00 - Intro • 00:02:44 - Starting at 16 accidental career and mentorship in composition. • 00:03:41 - The Quincy Jones Connection • 00:04:51 - Architect of Trip-Hop? • 00:07:09 - "Nashville Skyline" Meets Hip-Hop • 00:09:04 - Freedom to be a "Weirdo" • 00:10:20 - The "Perfect Storm" of 1988/89 • 00:13:29 - Transition to London • 00:14:18 - Willy Wonka’s Factory • 00:16:19 - Cycle of Mentorship • 00:19:25 - Alternative Evolution • 00:21:18 - "Growing Up in Public" • 00:22:17 - Birth of She Wants Revenge • 00:26:37 - A 20-Year Partnership • 00:27:51 - How Lady Gaga personally championed "Tear You Apart" for American Horror Story. • 00:28:44 - The WARFIELD Project • 00:32:43 - Solo Autonomy: creative freedom of recording alone versus the collaborative • 00:34:59 - "All the Fun" Mission Statement • 00:38:06 - Songwriting Deep Dive: Reworking "If the World Starts Crashing Down Tonight" • 00:41:35 - Trusting First Instincts • 00:44:31 - Collaborative Process: How Thomas Froggatt and Spencer Rollins add "curveballs" • 00:48:15 - Live Interpretation • 00:49:08 - Mixtape Generation • 00:50:25 - Vulnerability in "A Love So Bold" • 00:52:23 - Looking Ahead • 00:54:23 - Outro & Contact: Instagram and Bandsintown

57 min
12/23/2025

Mark Guarino

Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. This go round we have Mark Guarino, a veteran journalist for the Washington Post and ABC News, and author of the award-winning music history book, Country and Midwestern. We discuss how Chicago’s role in country and folk history is like an independent research lab. While Nashville became the high-profile factory producing the finished "products" for the mass market, Chicago was the experimental space where the formulas were first discovered, tested, and pushed into weird, new directions away from corporate oversight. Mark's extensive stories reveal a rich century of Chicago's music evolution. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://countryandmidwestern.com https://www.instagram.com/markguarino ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- • 00:00:54 – Intro: Tom Compton welcomes Mark Guarino • 00:02:07 – Huskies Pride: Reminiscing about high school days and ill-fated track team experiences. • 00:05:32 – A Decade of Discovery: The ten-year journey of writing Country and Midwestern • 00:07:44 – Human-Centric History: Why focusing on the stories of people is the key • 00:10:01 – The Unique 1990s: the luck of being a journalist in the right place at the right time. • 00:12:12 – An "Injustice" Rectified • 00:13:12 – WLS National Barn Dance • 00:15:33 – "Hillbilly Heaven" in Uptown • 00:20:05 – Stories of Resistance • 00:22:14 – The Gate of Horn • 00:24:29 – Bob Gibson’s Dark Side • 00:28:06 – Old Town School of Folk Music • 00:32:48 – McCarthyism & The FBI • 00:37:08 – The Prine Connection • 00:38:35 – Bob Dylan Deemed Unworthy. • 00:42:44 – A Living Legacy: the University of Chicago Folk Festival • 00:45:15 – From the Will the Circle Be Unbroken resurgence to the modern popularity of Bluegrass. • 00:47:55 – The Spirit of Collaboration • 00:53:44 – 2025 Favorite Releases • 00:57:17 – Van Morrison’s Deep Cuts • 01:03:05 – Closing superlatives

1h 6m
12/16/2025

Brian Dunne

Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. This week we’re diving into the wonderful new album, Clams Casino, with the artist who created it, Brian Dunne. Brian is a singer-songwriter based in New York. He’s known for combining rock and roll with raw, literate self-examination, and he is also a member of the supergroup Fantastic Cat. Stick around as Brian discusses the core conflict of his working-class characters having to choose whether to "sell out or move out", how he produced the album at home, sometimes keeping the "lower quality audio" from original demos to preserve the song’s soul, and why he believes that professional songwriting discipline is like "going fishing" every day. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.briandunnemusic.net/ http://instagram.com/briandunnemusic http://facebook.com/briandunnemusic/ https://briandunne.bandcamp.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bdunne8/videos ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- • 00:01:56 - Intro: Tom Compton welcomes Brian Dunne and praises Clams Casino • 00:03:10 - The concept of Clams Casino as the aftermath of the previous album • 00:04:10 - The central theme of the record: Examining personal and public issues through the lens of class and working-class roots • 00:06:15 - The two main characters and the core conflict: whether to "sell out or move out". • 00:07:14 - Discussing songs that explore the duality of letting a dream die, contrasting the pain with the "sweet relief of letting something go" • 00:08:17 - Solo performance feedback • 00:10:08 - Fantastic Cat: How the "super group of sorts"came together, and plans • 00:12:39 - Production shift: Adopting a new process for Clams Casino by prioritizing the "pure" intention and "soul" • 00:14:34 - Using "lower quality audio" demo tracks to achieve an authentic balance,. • 00:15:30 - The "ears" and collaborators who helped refine the record, including Ken Yates, Dan Rohan, Ben Tali, and Don D’Lego. • 00:17:12 - Brian Dunne played about 90% of the instruments on the album • 00:18:11 - Using his humble New York home studio • 00:21:10 - The title Clams Casino: It is a bygone red-sauce menu item that symbolizes working-class aspiration, class pride, and shame • 00:25:33 - Vocal style and influences • 00:27:51 - Guitar influences: Mike Campbell and Robbie Robertson PTM logo created by David Lawrence PTM theme song "Iron Rails" by Joel Corelitz

52 min

TRAILER

Season Introduction

Season One introduction episode for Pursuing the Muse

S1

•

1 min

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

A podcast about songwriting and the paths musicians take to get songs created.

Creator

Tom Compton
Years Active

2024 - 2026
Episodes

39
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© All rights reserved.
Show Website

Pursuing the Muse