When Brandi Carlile was an up-and-coming songwriter, she waited outside the Indigo Girls’ tour bus to meet her heroes. Fast forward a few years, and the Indigo Girls appeared on her 2007 album, The Story. By 2010, young musicians were waiting outside Carlile’s tour bus to meet her — including Mackenzie Scott, a.k.a. Torres.

These two women are songwriters with a deep country influence who write lyrics that explore dark feelings — and deliver them like Armageddon is at their heels. They’re also huge fans of each other’s music.

Hear Scott and Carlile discuss meeting their heroes, attempting to lead balanced lives while living on the road, and what it’s like being “gay Christ followers” on this episode of the Talkhouse Music Podcast.