SONG DIVING - An American Songwriter Podcast

We get into the stories behind songs he’s written, including “Good Time,” “American Dreamin’,” and Zac Brown Band’s “Homegrown.”
Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how Niko hears and writes songs, from John Prine and Travis Tritt to Outkast and Alan Jackson.
And we talk about why positive music became his mission, the dive bar show that changed his life when Zac Brown walked in, why the hardest part of writing a song is finding the first great idea, and how one song can find someone at exactly the moment they need it.
It’s a conversation about choosing optimism, finding the idea that unlocks a song, and why music can become the encouragement we carry with us through life.

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We get into the stories behind songs like “Humble and Kind,” “People Get Old,” and “All the Time I’ve Wasted on You.”
And we talk about how her limitations became her style, why some of the best lines in a song begin with an alley-oop from another writer, and why the songs that make everyone else want to quit are the ones that excite her most.
Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how Lori hears and writes songs, from James Taylor and Suzanne Vega to Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, and the songwriters she discovered through Boston’s college radio stations.
It’s a conversation about keeping it simple, writing the song only you can write, and the songs we’ll spend the rest of our lives reaching for.

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We get into the stories behind songs like “Second Chance,” “In Memory,” “Fly from the Inside,” and new songs like “Young Again” and “Searchlight.”
And talk about the years-long journey that led to Shinedown, writing hundreds of songs before finally breaking through, and the determination it took to keep going.
Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how Brent hears and writes songs, from The Ramones and Soundgarden to Jim Croce and Otis Redding.
It’s a conversation about finding your voice, trusting your instincts, and chasing what’s out there.

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We dive in with Jason Mraz to talk about songs like “I’m Yours,” “I Won’t Give Up,” “Lucky,” and “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” and we get into songwriting as meditation, creative prompts as a doorway into inspiration, and the joy and doubt that can come with a song that suddenly arrives all at once.
We also geek out on the music and voices that shaped the way he hears and writes songs, from Michael Jackson and Ani DiFranco to Willie Nelson and the humor and warmth of Hee Haw playing at his grandmother’s house.
Along the way we talk about how songwriting began as a “parlor trick” for his friends, how he almost didn’t believe in “I’m Yours,” and why now is the right time to share the gospel album he originally recorded as a Christmas gift for his grandmother.
It’s a conversation about the songs that heal us, the songs that surprise us, and what can happen when you let yourself become an instrument for inspiration.

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We dive in with Taj Mahal to talk about songs like “Queen Bee,” “Loving in My Baby’s Eyes,” and “Mailbox Blues,” and how they grow out of the lineage of African and American music.
Along the way, we explore the artists who shaped how he hears and writes, from Ray Charles to Jimmy Reed to Etta James to Mississippi John Hurt.
We talk about finding your own voice, trusting instinct, and why tempo can shape everything.
And we talk about his new album Time, including his take on an unreleased Bill Withers song, Bob Marley’s “Talking Blues,” and how “Sweet Lorene” gives a nod to Otis Redding.
It’s a conversation about roots and feel. In Taj Mahal’s words, “Do you feel it or do you not feel it?

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We dive in with Andrew Farriss of INXS to talk about songs like “Need You Tonight,” “New Sensation,” and “Never Tear Us Apart,” and how those songs came together during the making of their album Kick, which went on to sell over 20 million records.
Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how he hears and writes songs, from The Beatles, who he saw live as a kid before they broke big, to the threatening groove of The Rolling Stones, to the complex simplicity of Simon & Garfunkel.
We talk about writing with Michael Hutchence, a poet turned lyricist who started with an aversion to singing and ultimately became one of the greatest frontmen of all time.
We also talk about trusting instinct over rules, and how one of their biggest hits began with an extra bar added by accident while rushing out to catch a cab.
It’s a conversation about restraint, feel, and how moments you can’t plan turn into songs that last.

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We dive in with Hiss Golden Messenger to talk about songs like “Cracked Windshield,” “It Will If We Let It,” and “Heavy World” from his new album “I’m People.”
Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how he hears and writes songs, from Eric B. & Rakim and Low to Waylon Jennings and Curtis Mayfield.
We talk about how groove became a foundation early on, writing toward the question instead of the answer, and learning to hold joy and sorrow at the same time.
It’s a conversation about feel and reflection, holding two things at once, and the songs that live somewhere in between. 

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We dive in with Steve Earle, singer-songwriter known for songs like “Guitar Town,” “Copperhead Road,” and “Transcendental Blues.”
Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how he hears and writes songs, from Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan to Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.

Steve talks about chasing songs across Texas and Nashville, and what he learned as a student and peer of the songwriters who set the bar.
We also talk about how songs let you sing things you might not say out loud, and the storytelling, empathy, and characters behind songs like “The Devil’s Right Hand,” “Tom Ames’ Prayer,” and “John Walker’s Blues.”
It’s a conversation about how a songwriter is shaped by the music around them, the rooms they find their way into, and the people who show them what’s possible.

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We dive in with José González, singer-songwriter known for songs like Crosses, Heartbeats, and Killing for Love.
Along the way, we explore the music and voices that shaped how he hears and writes songs, from Silvio Rodríguez and The Beatles to Bob Marley and Simon & Garfunkel.
We talk about writing across languages, finding simplicity in songmaking, and how repetition and rhythm drive his guitar playing. We also talk about his new album, including songs like A Perfect Storm.
It’s a conversation about what we believe, how we see the world, and how those ideas show up in the music.

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We dive in with I’m With Her, the trio of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins, whose voices and playing intertwine on songs like “Overland,” “Ancient Light,” and “Mother Eagle.”
Along the way, we explore the music that shaped their sound, from Joni Mitchell and Dan Fogelberg to the classic trio blend of Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt.
We talk about discovering their sound while arranging John Hiatt’s “Crossing Muddy Waters,” chipping away at songs night after night on tour, and the magic of live recordings like their new album “Sing Me Alive” that capture a moment exactly as it happened.
It’s a conversation about collaboration, curiosity, and the joy of three voices finding their way into something they can only create together.

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