For Songs

LA-based singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos was bored. Getting tired of playing acoustic shows, he called some friends to put together a new rock n’ roll outfit. A few of his friends played with some of the biggest bands in the land—Dave Krusen of Pearl Jam on drums, Adam Kury of Candlebox of bass, just to name a few. Add in guitarists Kevin Haaland and engineer/keyboardist Brina Kabler (also Peter’s wife), and you’ve got yourself one helluva a band. Sons of Silver’s newest EP Doomsday Noises is a collection of five blistering songs that chronicle what happens when societies deliberately peddle misinformation, censorship, and vanity. Peter exquisitely details his band’s songwriting process and discusses how weird it is to be performing livestream shows with limited audience engagement. Sit back and grab a beer for this one, as this is a wild ride!

Every musician sacrifices something to do what they do. For most, it’s money. I mean, unless you’re already a huge star, the chances of making money in this industry is slim to none. But few artists have sacrificed quite as much as Lisset Diaz and her rock-and-roll band, the Sweet Lizzy Project. Lisset and her bandmates emigrated to Nashville from Havana, Cuba, in 2017. So even before the pandemic, going back home was no easy task. They came here to make a new album after being featured in a PBS special called “Havana Time Machine.” Recording Technicolor took longer than expected, and the band waited for the perfect time to release it—February 2020. We all know what happened next. On this episode of For Songs, Lisset discusses three songs from Technicolor—“Turn Up the Radio,” “Tu Libertad,” and “December 31”—and the band’s newest single, “Sticky Situations.” She discusses the sacrifices it took to get here, the differences of recording in the US and Cuba, and the frustration of not being able to tour in support of their new album. Lisset also talks about the band’s new EP, a collection of Christmas songs, released in late November 2020. So settle in and turn up the radio!

It’s been months since many of us have been out and about, getting a drink at a bar or hearing live music. For me, the last time I went to a club was in early March in Washington, catching the phenomenal Poguetry tour literally days before the world shut down. I detailed this experience in my interview with Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, who opened up for and supported Spider Stacy and Cait O’Riordan of the Pogues on that brilliant tour.

As frustrating as it’s been for the fans and musicians, as we’ve chronicled on this podcast, imagine what it’s like for the owners of these venues and smaller bars that rely on big crowds to make a living. In this episode of For Songs, we talk with Tony T, owner of the Pug, a bar on H St NE Washington. The Pug is also the sponsor of this podcast. Tony voluntarily closed the Pug in mid-March at the outset of the pandemic, assuming, like many of us, that this would be a painful few weeks, maybe two months, of shutting down in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Well, eight months later, the virus is raging out of control. What will it take for folks like Tony to hold on? And how can you help? Let Tony show you the way.

What’s the best way to get a critical message across to your listeners? For Emily Barker, the best way is to make it personal. On her latest album A Dark Murmuration of Words, Emily recounts her travels from her native Australia in her early 20s to England to become a singer/songwriter. She uses her personal experience missing home to make a direct plea in her music for combatting our world’s climate crisis. On this episode of For Songs, Emily talks her passion for the environment, how she drives the point home in her writing, and her musical inspirations. We discuss four songs from the album--Return Me, Geography, The Woman Who Planted Trees, and Anymore Goodbyes. She also talks about her process for writing songs and what it's like being a musician with a new album and no way to bring it to the masses thanks to the pandemic.

The #election is here! So let’s dig into some of what I think is the best political songwriting of our day. In this episode, we feature four songs by different artists, each taking on different elements related to politics and these times we live in. We explore racial justice, social justice, and how we can create a better, more humane world. We’ve got three returning guests—Scott Miller, Yasmin Williams, and Mark Andersen—and making her first appearance is Australian-born, UK-based singer/songwriter Emily Barker. From urgent punk rock to beautiful instrumentals, and everywhere else in between, we cover it all. On this episode we feature Emily Barker’s “Machine,” the Clash’s “Three-Card Trick,” Yasmin’s brand-new “After the Storm,” and Scott Miller’s “The People Rule.” Each is distinct in its message and its sound, but they are all exemplary examples of great political songwriting.

Fewer bands in rock history are as human, genuine, and flawed as the Clash, the 70s-80s punk rock band that outgrew its punk roots as it grew in mainstream fame. The band wanted to be one of the biggest in the world, but somehow do so without compromising its politically charged message. Is that possible? In a fascinating book called “We are the Clash,” co-author, music historian, and humanitarian Mark Andersen exquisitely details an unheralded time in the band’s history: the making of the band’s last album, “Cut the Crap.” “We are the Clash” is a spellbinding, ambitious book that revisits this oft-forgotten era of the band, when lyricist and singer Joe Strummer tried to will a band of almost all new recruits, save bassist Paul Simonon, into an all-out war on the music industry and the rise of Thatcherism. The band’s efforts ultimately failed, but Mark’s book will give you a fresh new look at this album, this moment in time, and where we are today. “We are the Clash” is available online, but give your local bookstore the first shot.

Two years ago, pop-leaning singer/songwriter Mackenzie Nicole had hit her rock bottom. With a hit record (2018’s The Edge) at a young age, at a time when she should’ve been on top of the world, she nearly gave up. But after acknowledging and getting help for her mental illness—which she calls “the darkness”—Mackenzie fought back. She catalogued her journey from acceptance to recovery in her 2020 release The Mystic. In this episode of For Songs, Mackenzie talks about how her journey to fight back led to the development of The Mystic. She discusses her great love for literature and how confronting the Darkness head on has given her new resolve to push forward. We also detail her progression as a pop artist in an era where musical genres are fast disappearing. Listen in and if you or anyone you know is suffering from mental illness, let them know that there is hope. There is a future.

Can you remember your last normal night out? For me it was March 7, 2020. We saw @spiderstacy & @rockyoriodan of @poguesofficial on their Mid-Atlantic @poguetrylive tour, backed by the @lostbayouramble. Four days later the world shut down and we’ve been couped up ever since. What was it like to be on tour on those last days? In this episode of For Songs, I chat with Louis Michot, lead singer and fiddler player of @lostbayouramble and @michotsmelody makers, about what happened on those last frantic nights on tour, and then his love and passion for #cajunmusic. We dig into four traditional Cajun songs, including one that blends traditional Cajun and Irish sounds, and three live tracks from the Michot Melody Makers' July 2020 release, Cosmic Cajuns from Saturn. Sit back, grab a drink, and listen to Louis walk you back in time.

www.lostbayouramblers.com

Songwriting is not for the weak of heart or mind. Just ask Paleface (PF), the indie-rock legend who came of age during New York City’s anti-folk scene in the late 80s. In this episode of For Songs, PF and his partner/drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot talk about their latest album, the self-made, self-produced “Go Forth.” We discuss how the album came to be, why it was self-made, and how PF got bit by the songwriting bug after watching the late, great Daniel Johnston perform at open-mic nights in New York in this wide-ranging interview.

Find out more about “Go Forth”, PF, and Mo at www.palefaceonline.com. "Go Forth" can be purchased at their website, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc.

When I was in high school learning the guitar, I wanted to be a shredder. I wanted to play as fast as Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, Joe Satriani, Hendrix, Steve Vai—you know, the guitar maestros who could tear up the fretboard. No dice. Couldn’t come close. And interestingly enough, Yasmin Williams never wanted to reach those heights. She was influenced by Nirvana and other grunge-rock bands. Then she beat the video game Guitar Hero 2 as a teenager, convinced her parents to buy her a guitar, and the rest is history. After getting bored with the electric guitar, she picked up an acoustic, learned some incredible picking techniques and continues to innovate to this day. Check out our interview where she talks about her styles, how she learned different techniques, and how she writes such hypnotic, peaceful, and beautiful songs.