It’s a Valentines Day special y’all. Korby speaks with Nashville actor, producer, casting director and life partner Randa Newman. In addition to her appearances on TV shows like NBC’s 'Young Rock' and The CW’s 'Walker', Randa also produced our Morse Code TV pilot, for which this podcast is named. We talk about the weird joy it is to work and live together, as well as our evolving effort to be both challenging and supportive partners. We also work out in realtime what we think each of us brings to the table, and discuss the importance of doing stuff that isn’t overtly productive. In the last third of the conversation we talk about our ongoing effort to build a family — and what that’s been like emotionally. Somewhere in there we play a song together. Probably the most personal and (for me, Korby) occasionally uncomfortable conversation we’ll ever have have on the podcast.

Korby speaks with East Nashville based singer-songwriter Lauren Morrow about the roller coaster reality of making a life in music, one song at a time. Lauren is the former lead singer of Atlanta’s Whiskey Gentry and now the solo artist of 2023’s EP People Talk. They talk about the fraught waters of self-promotion in a landscape dominated by social media, her formative experience as a young singer performing for 50k people, and the fallacious strategy of aping the youth. She performs 3 songs in the studio, with Korby joining her on a couple.

Korby met singer songwriter Abigayle Kompst when they both competed at a song contest at the Wildflower Music Festival in Texas in Spring 2023. A compelling performer and collaboratively-minded writer, Abigayle provides a valuable glimpse into the world of a young singer songwriter negotiating life and creativity in a landscape crowded with content. Plus she plays three originals live in studio, Korby joining on two.

Korby speaks with actor and spoken word artist James Kyson. Best known for his role in  NBC’s Heroes, James has more than 100 appearances in TV and film. Here he shares the many aspects of maintaining a successful acting career across decades, including auditioning for new roles, playing to camera in various situations, the value of a positive attitude, and loads more!

Korby speaks with bassist and friend Anton Nesbitt about his evolving path through music and life, how, in spite of demand, he chose against a career outside that of a full time session player, how marriage and starting a family changed relationship to his career, and how he is instilling in his kids the values he holds most dear. “As a man thinketh, so he is.” Finally, he joins Korby on a special cover..

Korby speaks with writer and actor Julian Vaca, author of YA novel The Memory Index (nominated for an It List Book Award in 2023), about the surviving and thriving in the modern marketplace. As a father of four, Julian also talks about maintaining a productive writing schedule in real life, and how he uses social media without betraying himself. Korby and Julian also get into some favorite reads of the last year!

Special episode! Korby met twin brothers Nathan and Jud Epting when they randomly showed up in front of his house in East Nashville, set up their easels and started painting the truck parked out front. They’ve since become good friends. Here they discuss the parallels between plein air painting and musical performance, the challenge of knowing what to leave in and leave out, the value of painting the same object multiple times, and more.

Korby speaks with author and Porch Writer’s Collective Co-Founder Katie McDougall about her journey in creative writing and education. They talk about the challenge of knowing when to publish, how reading makes you more empathetic, what’s going on with the Porch these days, and more.

Korby speaks with John Strohm, a musician, songwriter, attorney and former label head who has been involved in music for more than 4 decades, from playing guitar for the Lemonheads to serving as president of Rounder Records. Along the way he's worked with a hit list of influential artists: Bon Iver, The Civil Wars, Phoebe Bridger, The Alabama Shakes, and more.

Korby speaks with director, writer, actor and producer Travis Nicholson about his journey through film and storytelling, from starting his career by crashing the cast party of Oh Brother Where Art Thou through his work on Still the King, a TV show he co-created starring Billy Ray Cyrus (and himself), that ran for 2 seasons on network TV. Travis also directed and co-wrote Morse Code, an award-winning TV pilot created by and starring Korby. They talk about that collaboration, from script to screen, as well as the process of selling a pilot in the current climate.