The Song Saloon | Songwriting, Live Performance, & New Music Discovery

Meljii has the soundtrack for your autumn adventure!Meljii writes music for recreational readers. Her music contains clever, playful, verbose lyrics over a unique blend of funky indie rock grooves with jazz-influenced harmonies. Aside from being a songwriter, Meljii is a music school-trained session player specializing in bass, guitar, and guitar-like instruments. She has lived and traveled all over the world, as a Navy brat and also someone who just gets bored easily, having lived in Japan for 4 years and Spain for 1. Her song “frog and toad” is a celebration of autumn, friendship, and the art of noticing.Meljii is a frequent collaborator with my music as both a songwriter and performer. Hope you enjoy the episode!Listen to Frog and Toad on SpotifyFollow MeljiiSend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

Ethan Buckner is an activist and singer-songwriter, but only recently has found a way to fuse those two major roles in his life. Ethan helped organize the March to End Fossil Fuels held this March in New York City, where about 75,000 people showed up! After an A list headliner artist didn’t work out, Ethan flew his band in, rehearsed the morning of the march, and performed his new and extremely fitting single "Eyes on the Prize."Be sure to look for his upcoming single "Treading Water" out on November 3rd!Here’s his artist bio:There was that time he was detained by the Egyptian military, accused of being an American spy. Or the time he repelled off a massive highway bridge protesting big oil. Or the time he chained himself to the Oakland police department headquarters after yet another unarmed Black man was murdered by cops. Harrowing true story after story, LA indie folk/pop troubadour and activist Ethan Buckner has seen it all. Through trauma and triumph, anxiety and hope, Ethan has always turned to songwriting to try and make sense of it. His forthcoming debut LP Treading Water, produced by grammy-nominee Justin Glasco (Paris Paloma, Lone Bellow), weaves between moments both intimate and anthemic, exploring struggles that are both deeply personal and unavoidably collective.Hope you enjoy the episode!Listen to "Eyes on the Prize" by Ethan Buckner. Follow Ethan BucknerMarch to End Fossil FuelsSend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

I met Rachel Siegel at the ASCAP experience where her song was selected for feedback by a panel of professional songwriters. I loved her songwriting and vocal performance, and I'm excited to introduce you to her now!Music as a means to heal is not a new concept but Rachel Siegel, a New Jersey native, certainly represents it uniquely. Rachel’s story is one of grief, struggle, and overcoming. She invites us into this journey through her fervent but approachable pop music. An artist who writes for other artists, after earning her degree in songwriting from Berklee College of Music, Siegel started her career helping other people tell their stories. However, in 2020, when the world shut down, she decided it was time to tell her own. Rachel’s debut album, Heart Injuries Are Cumulative, came out last year and is looking forward to releasing new music through 2023. Follow Rachel SiegelListen on SpotifySend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

This episode brought to you by nepotism! But seriously, Guy Richey Gibbons may be my cousin but he is also an incredible songwriter/producer!Guy released his debut album "In this Moment" just last year, but he didn’t stay in that moment for long. He’s gearing up to release a full second album, with several singles already released!In this episode, Guy gives an exclusive preview of his song "Love Somebody," which is scheduled for release on September 22nd. I’ll include the fully recorded version to the episode at that time, but you should just go stream it wherever you listen to music, yeah???Hope y’all take the message to heart. Go make the world a better place!Follow Guy Richey GibbonsSend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

Hannah Siglin is an accomplished folk singer-songwriter, classically trained guitarist, and professional "singing garden fairy!" Her love of nature is a common theme in her work, particularly in "Persimmon." She keeps a very busy schedule performing in wineries, breweries, and other venues in the Spokane region. This episode we really dive into the craft, and Hannah walks us through some of her choices with guitar in hand. Enjoy this look at Hannah's upcoming, unreleased song "Persimmon."Follow Hannah SiglinSend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

Conner Cherland talks about his new single "Drugs," off of his first ever full length album, recently crowdfunded for $15,000! We talk about the process of creating an album, crowdfunding, writing songs with a new instrument, and the story behind the song.  As Conner describes in the episode, “drugs” isn’t a song title that many who know Conner would expect. It’s less about drugs and more about how we change as we get older.  Listen to Drugs by Conner Cherland on SpotifyFollow Conner CherlandSend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

Elthia is an artist in every sense of the word. It was fascinating to hear all the thought and planning that goes into her process. We talk in the episode about her focus on building a world for her artist project that both she and her fans get to inhabit. Enjoy stepping into the world of Elthia!Artist bio:Singer-songwriter Elthia creates indie pop music that leaves her listeners marveling at her wordplay and vibing to her ethereal, dreamy style. She enhances her artistic image by creating wearable art pieces, using dripping candles, demitasse spoons, and skeletal claws, all featured in her music videos. In October 2020, Elthia’s debut single, “i love you but you make me cry” went viral, generating millions of streams and creating a fanbase eager for her following releases.Listen to wildfire on SpotifyFollow ElthiaSend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

We cover A LOT of ground in this episode. Defining success in music, using music to overcome grief, live performance, setting goals, and family and community as sources of strength. Listen to Liz on SpotifyFollow Taylor SacksonSend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

This episode, we meet with David Hudson, songwriter behind the artist project "Willowspeak." David shares his artistic odyssey, from his early days of musical exploration to finding his voice in the rural Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.Musical accomplishments can be as fleeting as footprints in freshly fallen snow. David reveals how his experiences as a performer on a cruise ship and his wilderness therapy journey in Southern Utah have shaped his artistic identity and growth as a songwriter.Explore the themes of impermanence and connection as "Footprints in the Snow" captures the essence of a songwriter's passage through creativity, accompanied by the underlying transient nature of accomplishments. The podcast uncovers the beauty of embracing the present moment and savoring the journey, reflecting on the power of music to leave an enduring mark on the hearts of listeners.Listen to Inside Our Heads by Willowspeak on SpotifySend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram

Explore the musical transformation of Sky Olson, from a self-described bedroom player to an integral part of Utah's music scene. Listen to Sky's experiences, both personally and artistically, as he shares the story behind "Cruise Control" and its unique inception.Listen to Cruise Control on SpotifySend a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon Mailing ListTiktok + Instagram