The Morse Code Podcast with Korby Lenker Korby Lenker

I speak with singer-songwriter Abigail Rose on the heels of her widely acclaimed debut EP Surprise Valley, about why she had to leave the comfort of her hometown in order to discover her artistic identity. We compare notes:  I experienced a similar freedom of reinvention when I moved to Nashville almost twenty years ago. We discuss the perils and rewards of doing creative work with a life partner, and how making stuff together can deepen an already meaningful relationship. Finally I join her on three songs, live here in our studio.

I speak with singer-songwriter and mixed media artist Andrew Combs on the eve of his first solo gallery show (at Julia Martin Gallery in Nashville) about what it means to him in the context of a career spent largely in song and on stage. From touring with Kacey Musgraves to performing a set on perhaps the greatest taste-making venue ever — Tiny Desk on NPR — Andrew’s decision to step back from the heavy touring that marked his twenties may at first seem surprising. But as we talk, I began to understand this thoughtful creator is — like many us — merely finding a way to make art in the context of his broader life: as a young father, as a person more comfortable in the privacy of a studio than under bright lights, and finally as one who, in a basic sense, is guided by a innate curiosity for expression and meaning, wherever that takes him. We discuss a few of his recent works and we play two of his original songs together, live in studio.Andrew's Solo Show “Fail Better” opens Saturday May 4 with a reception and live music (Andrew and friends) at the Julia Martin Gallery 444 Humphreys St Nashville TN. The show runs through May 25, 2024.

A great listen for anyone interested in the publishing game in its current iteration. I speak with the Editorial Director of Lake Union, an imprint of Amazon that publishes more than 80 titles a year, generating more than $40 million in yearly revenue. In her influential capacity, Danielle as been responsible for some of the biggest success stories at her firm. We discuss the evolution of book publishing, expectation versus reality in terms of what happens when your book get published, and then we talk about the interesting stuff. Why you should or should not write. And how shame, fear and celebrity worship hold people back from creating in their own lives. 

I talk with three-time grammy winner, multi-instrumental singer songwriter, winner of numerous Native American Music Awards, and acclaimed painter, Bill Miller. Born on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation in northern Wisconsin, his big break came when Tori Amos discovered his music and invited him to open her tour for the Under the Pink album. They toured together for over a year. After that it was the same thing with Pearl Jam. If you ever saw Disney’s Pocahontas, you remember the song “Colors of the Wind” sung by Vanessa Williams. Bill's flute playing throughout. That song won a Grammy and both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. I’m really just scratching the surface of what Bill has achieved in his life. I met him when he played on my song “Crow Country”. We’ve since become good friends, sharing shows together, hanging out. I look up to him — as an example of grace and wisdom and a deep sense of honoring the Spirit which animates us all. We talk about his life and perspective on creativity and where it might come from. We discuss the importance of acknowledging loss and setbacks without allowing them to define you. Finally, he let me sit in on a couple of his original songs. It was a great day in the studio.

I talk with Grammy award-winning guitarist and singer Chris “Critter” Eldridge. A regular collaborator of Julian Lage’s, Critter has lent his talents to Paul Simon, Justin Timberlake, T-Bone Burnett, Fiona Apple, The War and Treaty and more. We discuss the necessity of discomfort as a prerequisite for growth, and how raising a daughter has opened up new insights about failure and its role in personal development. We also got into some bluegrass stuff, discussing the Murder Ballad in traditional music and whether the time has come to retire it. I have a pretty strong opinion on this. Lastly I sat in with the gifted guitarist on a few songs - his arrangement of Little Sadie, and then we just let one rip with a tune we got from a Norman Blake record - Walking Cane Blues.

I talk with grammy and Emmy-award winning songwriter Drew Ramsey about the challenges and rewards of co-writing songs, which occasionally become hit songs. In this, Drew has decades of experience — his countless collaborations include India.Arie, John Legend, Jonny Lang, and Marc Broussard  — and in his capacity as a songwriting professor at Belmont University in Nashville he’s championed and incubated the next generation of songwriting hopefuls. We talk about Lightbulbs vs Batteries and the importance of discovering which one you are. We talk about the importance of bringing your weird to the songwriting room, and how it much easier to hone a wild idea into a communicable form than to punch up something that isn’t there, and finally we play one together in the studio, his song "Home", the hit he wrote with Marc Broussard.