How does a musician express meaning without lyrics?

On this episode of our mini-series Songs I Shouldn't Explain, we talk to the instrumental band Cave Paint about their song “A World of Their Youth.” We explore the way instrumental music challenges our ideas about meaning in songs in general. We also discuss the unique creative processes surrounding music that doesn't gravitate around lyrics. 

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Healing hurts sometimes.

In this episode, Hayley Moran from Haylo Healing Arts Lounge joins the podcast to explore the unique ways that tattoo work can facilitate emotional healing. Along the way, we discuss the nature of tattooing as an art form and how gender norms can inform an artist's approach to their work. It's a fascinating discussion about how artists of every discipline can approach their work with intention and care.

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What inspires a person to write thoughtful lyrics, and what sustains them in their craft over time? In this episode, we talk to Ben Liebsch from the band You, Me, and Everyone We Know about his approach to writing lyrics, and how our creative perspectives evolve as we grow and mature as individuals. It’s a fascinating discussion about the discipline of being a lyricist. We also talk about poverty, homelessness, and the complexities of addiction.

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Happy Black History Month!

In this special episode of the podcast, we talk to musician Eric Mackey about the contributions of black artists to American arts. We explore how the black experience plays out on individual levels and systemic levels, and we discuss how we can better center the contributions of others into our shared understanding of music and more.

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How do issues of poverty and privilege impact the creative endeavors of the individual? This is the center of our conversation in this episode as we discuss the finer points of how socioeconomic class plays a role in the arts. We explore famous (and not-so-famous) examples of artists who come from a place of wealth, and we talk about how our own backstories inform our work as well. We also shine a spotlight on what some of our former guests (AKA PodPals!) have been up to lately. 

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In Episode 24, we talk to Sarah Hahn  from Bloom Movement Artistry about the unique ways that athleticism, artistry, and self-expression converge in her discipline as an aerial artist and trapeze artist. We discuss the fundamentals of fire breathing, and we explore how Bloom Movement Artistry’s work can be a space to cultivate a celebration of diversity and inclusion. 

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Sometimes lyrics are designed to paint a vivid landscape for listeners, igniting the imagination and allowing new ideas to form. 

In this episode of our series "Songs I Shouldn't Explain", Noah Khorey from the band Colony Collapse talks to us about their new song Dead Cellar. He explains how songwriters can use abstract and cryptic lyrics to create vivid imagery for listeners. We also explore how metalcore has matured as a genre, and how heavy music can provide a place to try new and radical creative concepts. 

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How do our sources of inspiration change over time? This is the question we contemplate with poet Bree Bailey in a wide-ranging discussion about the nature of creativity in adulthood, and how the angst of our adolescence evolves into something more complex and yet unmistakably beautiful as we grow and mature over our lives. Along the way, we discuss the concept of classic literature and how to use poetry as a mindfulness exercise for your mental health, among so many other ideas. 

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Is songwriting a matter of inspiration... or is it a matter of hard work and radical vulnerability?

In the first episode of Season 2, musician Elijah Bisbee joins the podcast to discuss the discipline of songwriting. We explore the idea of inspiration as a fleeting emotion, and we examine the strange, curious nature of obsession in our creative endeavors. And of course, Elijah shares some of his most profound sources of inspiration both in life an in art. 

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The past year or so has been an eye-opening experience for artists across the world. In our final episode of Season 1, Alex Rust joins the podcast to discuss our takeaways from a remarkable and strange year. What lessons can we learn from this uncanny season of our lives? We explore all this and, as always, we share our inspirations from music, video games, and beyond.

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