For Songs

It sounds like a cliché, but sometimes when you expect the unexpected, you might just get exactly what you need. That’s what happened to then-California-based singer/songwriters Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers after a chance meeting in 2019. Jackson and Sellers, both accomplished artists on different ends of the country-rock spectrum, began working together on one of Jade’s songs Hush during the start of the pandemic. One thing led to another, and both relocated to Nashville to record the compelling new album Breaking Point, released in October 2021. Breaking Point is a revelation, with both artists pushing themselves into an earthy, atmospheric album driven by loud, crunchy guitars and tight hooks all around. In this interview, Jackson and Sellers discuss how and why their voices blend so well together. We also chat about how their unlikely pairing has turned into a deep friendship and dramatic artistic statement. Join me as Jade and Aubrie walk us through four songs from Breaking Point—Devil is an Angel, Waste Your Time, Hush, and Fair Weather. We also discuss the fickle nature of the industry and how hard it is to make a living as an artist.

Welcome to the first episode of For Songs Singles! Instead of four songs, we talk about one. It’s a bit shorter and lets us take a deep dive into the creation and meaning of one song in particular. On this first episode we feature Hesitate, the blistering new song from LA-based indie-rock band Sons of Silver. Hesitate is a musical and lyrical tour-de-force. It jumps out of the speakers with driving guitars and pounding bass and drums. Singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos takes the global decline of our discourse, where we wall off those we disagree with, whether they are family or friends. The song is both provocative and funny—certainly not an easy task. Yet Peter and the band pull it off with ease. You may not agree with what he says or how he says it, and that’s almost the point. For those who aren’t sure where they fit in these hyperpartisan, hypersensitive times, Hesitate is the song for you.

Time has a funny way of working, right? Some days feel like they last forever, while others are over in a blink of an eye. And the cruel joke is that as you get older, time seems to move even faster. One day you are a bright eyed, bushy tailed 20-something ready to take over the world, and the next, the world has chewed you up and spit you out. Well, maybe it’s not that bad, but you get the point. On this episode of For Songs, singer/songwriter Dar Williams covers these themes and more on her latest album “I’ll Meet You Here,” released on Oct. 1. Dar has been making music since the early 90s, following in the footsteps of folk-rock luminaries Joan Baez, Jim Croce, and others. In fact, Joan Baez’s cover of Dar’s 1993 rune “You’re Aging Well” led to a career defining relationship. Joan took Dar under her wing, offering her advice and spots on tour throughout her career. And now Dar is roughly the same age as Joan Baez was when they first met, and she is returning the favor. Dar and I discuss “You’re Aging Well” and three other songs from “I’ll Meet You Here.” We talk about her influences—some will surprise you—and how she is gearing up to tour during a pandemic. So join me and welcome Dar Williams to For Songs.

It’s a #ForSongs first! Check out my in-person interview with the mighty [Dom Flemons](www.theamericansongster.com), singer/songwriter/historian/storyteller/trailblazer. Dom and I chatted about a hour before a mid-August 2021 show just south of Washington. Listen in as Dom discusses the touring life during COVID, what’s changed, and how his connection with his fans is deeper and stronger than ever. We also discuss his important work in changing the narrative of American folk music and highlighting the contributions African-American artists have made throughout the course of history. And if you find yourself with a hankering for hot chicken at the end of this show, you’ll know who to thank. Listen in as Dom Flemons makes his return appearance to For Songs.

Let me be clear: this is the most important interview I’ve ever done. It is my humbling honor to welcome the amazing singer/songwriter Lisset Diaz of the [Sweet Lizzy Project](www.sweetlizzyproject.com) back to For Songs. Lisset and her bandmates emigrated from Havana, Cuba, to Nashville, TN, in 2017 to record their second full-length album Technicolor. Lisset is a frequent guest of the show, but this interview is different. If you’ve been watching the news, you know there is a once-in-a-generation protest movement in Cuba. Cubans are putting their lives on the line to bring an end to the authoritative regime.

For Lisset, watching this from afar is both painful and inspirational. Painful because she doesn’t know if her friends and family are safe, but inspirational because of the incredible courage her fellow Cubans are showing by taking to the streets. In this interview, Lisset talks about her hopes and her fears for her country. While she faces no repercussions in the US for speaking out, she knows there’s a chance she may never be able to return to Cuba as long as the current regime is in power. And because Lisset is taking such a huge risk, we owe it to her to listen. Please, if you care about what’s happening in Cuba, share this episode with a friend or family member. Make sure the world knows what is happening right now. Thank you and please welcome Lisset Diaz back to For Songs.

Buckle up folks. This is a special episode of For Songs. My guest is Larry Kirwan, lead singer/songwriter for the seminal Irish-American rock band Black ’47. Black ’47, for a time, was considered New York City’s house band; they had a massive following up and down the East Coast. For folks of a certain age, Larry’s music was their introduction to Irish history, particularly the Northern Ireland conflict. Join us as we talk about three great Black ’47 songs, along with a brand new, exclusive track Rockaway Blue, based on his newest novel of the same name. If you like history, music, politics, and songwriting, you won’t want to miss this!

Depending on where you live, one could say that we’re going through a bit of a renewal. COVID cases are dropping, people are eating out, and as we’ve chronicled, live music is back! So it’s appropriate, then, that my next guest and his band are going through a rebirth of their own. Berkeley, Ca., based [The Jenny Thing](www.thejennything.com) first came to be in 1991. Their music blended 80s synth pop with the industrial rock sound popularized by 90s bands like Nine Inch Nails. The band was a West-Coast touring mainstay before calling it quits in 1999. As we get ready to venture back out into the world, The Jenny Thing is giving it another go as well. On this episode of For Songs, I speak with Matt Easton, lead singer and co-songwriter for The Jenny Thing. We talk about what led to the band’s return engagement—American Canyon, released in early June 2021. We discuss four songs off the album: Paper Angel, American Canyon, Lightfield, and Waiting for the Knife. Matt talks about how the songwriting process works between himself and guitarist Shaom Rao, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Sometimes texture and space is just as important as driving bass and fresh guitars! So tune in!

Live music is here! And not just outdoors! But actual music in actual clubs--like it used to be before March 2020! As things open up, though, our favorite bars and clubs don't just flip a switch and go back to normal. Here in DC, many bars and clubs have been closed for a year and half! That's 18 months of no money, no people, no music, no drinks, nothing. It's not just been a slow week or month--it's been nothing coming in for almost two years! If any bars and clubs made it this far, they are barely hanging on. This episode of For Songs is a snippet from the online #saveourstages benefit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SySNmoCdRvA&t=1s). We brought in eight amazingly talented and diverse bands and they talked about their favorite venues while also performing a number of awesome tunes. Go check it out now! The video included an interview with Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, and Tony T, owner of For Songs-sponsor The Pug, both in DC. The Pie Shop and the Pug have been closed since March 2020. They are getting ready to reopen. What do they need to do to get ready? What can you expect as a customer? When can you expect shows to start up again? Let Sandra and Tony take it away...

Most folks don’t have the kind of year singer/songwriter [Maia Sharp](www.maiasharp.com) just did. In addition to ending a 20-plus year marriage, she uprooted her life, moved from LA to Nashville and wrapped up the recording of her newest album Mercy Rising in late 2019. But that’s not all. In between a tornado blew through her new neighborhood in March 2020 and during the subsequent recovery and rebuild, she caught the coronavirus before most of us knew how deadly it could be. So yeah, Maia’s been through more than most over the last few years. And thankfully she’s made it through with Mercy Rising. This episode of For Songs is a true writer’s workshop. Maia’s the quintessential songwriter, looking for inspiration wherever she can, and not waiting to get it out. We talk about the development of Mercy Rising and four songs in particular, including one driven by an interaction with best-selling author Cheryl Strayed. Maia walks us through the songwriting process from beginning to end in disarming detail, so to all those aspiring writers out there, get those pencils and listen in!

After co-leading Minneapolis-based Soul Asylum to stratospheric heights in the 90s, lead guitarist Dan Murphy quit the business cold in 2012. Tired of the grind, Murphy literally hung up his famous Les Paul, seemingly for good. While Soul Asylum carries on with singer/guitarist David Pirner as the only original member, Murphy has focused instead on his online pinup art gallery called Grapefruit Moon. But as they say, life happens. Murphy picked up the guitar again for a family funeral and started again. He’s not back with Soul Asylum, but he still performs one-off gigs with his mid-90s alt.country supergroup Golden Smog. Well, at least he did before the pandemic. And he’s also writing new material for an album that he expects to be released in early 2022. In this episode of For Songs, Murphy grants us a bit of an exclusive look into two new songs—Fresh New Hell and Rosary. We also talk his time with Golden Smog and discuss in detail songs from their 1996 debut full-length album Down By the Old Mainstream. As you can tell, Murphy’s music had a profound impact on my life, so this episode is quite special to me. Hope you feel the same way! Listen in!