For Songs

Happy Halloween! Here’s a special edition of For Songs Singles! This time we bring back old friend Lisset Diaz, singer/songwriter for the Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project, probably one of the hardest rocking and hardest working bands around. Lisset joins me to talk about the band’s latest single, Tales of Never-Ending Rage and a Beautiful Disaster, released just in time for Halloween. The song is incredible—a tour-de-force recalling Queen, the Beatles, Living Colour, Faith No More, Guns N’ Rose, and so much more. The only thing better than the music is the backstory behind the song, so buckle up, put on your costume and welcome Lisset back to the show!

Buckle up everyone—it’s milestone time! This episode of For Songs is the nice, big, round number of 70! That’s right, 7-0! And helping me celebrate is the most popular guest I’ve had—Minneapolis singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Murphy. A co-founding member of one of Minnesota’s biggest rock band Soul Asylum, Dan is making his third appearance on the show. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Dan discusses the first single from his new band’s forthcoming album. The song is Speedway, the band is the Scarlet Goodbye, and the album is El Camino Adios, set for release in January. The band’s second album, El Camino Adios marks a departure of sorts for Dan and his songwriting partner Jeff Arundel. As exemplified by the undeniably catchy Speedway, El Camino Adios is a character/story driven album, inspired by everyday life in rural America. Dan talks how he and Jeff approached the album and made a conscious effort to evoke stories and write outside the first person. Dan also details how a few years of playing live together brought a greater cohesion to the songs. So sit back, crack a beer, and enjoy Dan’s third appearance on the show!

Sometimes the simplest words say the most. For proof, look no further than my next guest, Richmond, Va.-based singer/songwriter [Mighty Joshua](www.mightyjoshua.com). Mighty Joshua is one of the hottest, sought after reggae acts along the East Coast, and his new album Dreaducation demonstrates why. In this episode, Mighty Joshua talks “Beware,” the first single from the new record. The song is a musical tour de force, with a driving bass line and sharp horn section anchored by Joshua’s percussion and soulful voice. Like the word itself, “Beware” is more than meets the eye—you’ll hear something new every time you listen. Mighty Joshua talks about how the song came to be, his significant growth as a singer and writer, and how being mindful—being aware—is a necessity in life. So please join me in welcoming the Mighty Joshua back to For Songs.

Every now and again I pinch myself when doing this show. It’s been four years and I’ve had some amazing guests. Yet this one—with all due respect to everyone who’s been on—this one has been more than 30 years in the making. Because my guest is Ian Hunter, hands down my favorite singer-songwriter of ‘em all. Ian is best known for his time fronting the early to mid-70s band English band Mott the Hoople. Mott had a major hit in 1972 with All the Young Dudes—look it up on Spotify, trust me you’ve heard it. From there Ian’s solo career has dotted nearly six decades, and he’s still going strong. Ian joined me to discuss his latest album Defiance Part II: Fiction. The album follows Defiance Part I, both of which were recorded near the end of the pandemic. The songs are fantastic, but check out the roster of musicians who joined him: Ringo Starr, Brian May, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy, the late Taylor Hawkins, and so many more. We talk about the album, the pandemic, the staying power of music, and, well, the theme of both Defiance records—agism and not going quietly into the night. What else could you want? Dive into this interview with Ian Hunter.

Some folks are just a natural for this show. Nashville-based veteran singer/songwriter Tim Easton certainly fits the bill. A renowned tunesmith, Easton has lived a quintessential troubadour life—busking in Europe and living in L.A., New York, and many places in between. Now calling Nashville home, Tim is back with a new album Find Your Way. Tim’s solo work dates back to the late 90s, back when the major labels bet big that so-called alt.country or Americana would be the next thing. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Tim talks about how those big bets never paid off. We cover quite a bit here, but mostly we discuss the first single from the album, the ethereal title track Find Your Way. The song deals with a life-changing near-miss traffic incident, caused by Tim being a bit under the influence. Tim opens up about how the incident caused him to reevaluate his lifestyle. We also discuss his career and influences, and long-time listeners of this show will appreciate Tim’s love of both the Clash and Johnny Cash, the Louvin Brothers and Elvis Costello. So sit back and enjoy as Tim Easton joins me for For Songs.

If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Sometimes you just gotta let the song work its way out on its own schedule. Just let it go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, joins me to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque punk rocker released in early 2024. In addition to being a great friend of the show, Peter is also a fantastic interview. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. Peter also goes into detail about the band’s struggles in dealing with new personnel and refurbishing their sound. We cover a bit of everything here—songwriting, guitar tech, and gearing up (hopefully) for a year of touring. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs.

If there’s been one constant chronicled on this podcast, it’s that no one knows the future of the music industry. Hell, no one even knows what the next few days are going to be like in the industry. Certainly my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones, is doing all he can to crack the code. Ian is making his third appearance on this show, this time to discuss his latest single, I Can’t Seem to Drink Her Off My Mind. The song is a throwback to Merle Haggard, David Allen Coe, Buck Owens—a true drown-in-your-beer country tune that sounds like it was recorded in Bakersfield 50 or 60 years ago. Interesting, Ian is taking a kitchen-sink approach to marketing the song, as the album it will eventually be on is still being record. Not only that, he released a live version of the song before anyone’s heard the studio version. Will it work? Who knows! And that’s the point—there’s no blueprint, so why the hell not? It’s a fantastic, booze soaked lament that will keep your toes tapping and eyes watering. So sit back and listen in as Ian gives a frank assessment of the industry and how the song came together.

Lest anyone doubt the power of music, I give you the life of Barry Lynch. I met Barry while on vacation in May 2012 at a small pub in the small town of Moy, Northern Ireland, after he led a brilliant Irish session in which he sang and played just about every stringed instrument known to man. I finally brought him onto this show in July 2022 to discuss an album he’d just produced by a band called the Armagh Rhymers. Sadly, Barry passed away suddenly in Spring 2023. In this episode, Barry’s daughter Hannah Lynch joins me to discuss her Dad’s life and musical journey. Barry’s belief that music can connect people and change the world took him all over the globe. As a teacher in a divided area of Northern Ireland, Barry used music to bring opposing sides together, an effort that took him to the White House and the United Nations as the Belfast Peace Accords were being negotiated. We discuss a 2013 album he recorded with family (including Hannah and her sister Jane) and lifelong friends John Devlin and others under the nom de plume of The Monday Men. Join me in learning from Hannah about Barry’s commitment to music, family, peace, and how music can literally change the world.

When we last caught up with Yasmin Williams, her life was just about to change. It was February 2021, the pandemic was slowly but surely starting to ease, and the DC-based acoustic guitar maestro released her groundbreaking album Urban Driftwood. Full of spellbinding, mesmerizing, uplifting acoustic-guitar driven instrumentals, Urban Driftwood took Yasmin from her parent’s house to all around the globe, playing festivals, selling out clubs, and doing gigs with some of her heroes. It’s been a whirlwind—and two-plus years later, Yasmin is back. In this episode of For Songs Singles, we talk about Yasmin’s latest breathtaking tune Dawning. As hypnotic as anything she’s written, Dawning is a revelation. It signals a re-awakening of life after a catastrophic pandemic, new love, hope, and, well, pretty much whatever you want. Yasmin had help for this one, including Grammy winning singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan. Yasmin gushes over Aoife’s magical, soaring vocals and reveals just how much her life is different from just two years ago. So sit back, listen and let the amazing Yasmin Williams take you away.

Thirty years ago, I popped in If I Should Fall From Grace with God by the London-Irish punk band the Pogues, and my life changed forever. I was 17, socially awkward, and a bit of a loner, but discovering the Pogues opened a whole world for me. Finding their brand of traditional Irish music blended with punk rock was like discovering a new home—comfortable yet dangerous, familiar yet mysterious. So it is such a tremendous honor to welcome Pogues founding member and accordion player James Fearnley to For Songs. James, hailing from outside Manchester, England, joined the band at the beginning, enlisted because if he could play the piano, surely he could play the accordion. I spoke with James via Zoom from his L.A. home. We tackle a few obligatory Pogues questions but spend most of our time discussing James’ latest venture, The Walker Roaders. The Walker Roaders, which released their first record in August 2019, are a Celtic punk supergroup, featuring not only James from the Pogues, but Ted Hutt from Flogging Molly and Marc Orrell from the Dropkick Murphys. We talk about the band’s songwriting prowess, lessons James has picked up from being around amazing artists like Shane MacGowan, Jem Finer, Joe Strummer, among others. Yeah, you’re gonna wanna listen to this one. So sit back, grab a pint (or two) and welcome James Fearnley to For Songs.