The Working Songwriter

Our guest this week originally hails from my neck of the woods, Takoma Park Maryland. Eric Hutchinson got his start in music after moving to Los Angeles after a stint at Emerson College in Boston.

He signed with Madonna’s Maverick Records, only to have the label shut down before his album could be released. Hutchinson went independent, self-releasing Sounds Like This in 2007. After an endorsement from blogger Perez Hilton, the record shot to number five on the iTunes album chart and number one on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart before being picked up by Warner Bros.

Its breakout single, “Rock & Roll,” went platinum in the United States and became a number-one triple A radio hit.

Along the way, Hutchinson has toured or shared the stage with artists including Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz, OneRepublic, and O.A.R. He has appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Washington Post called him “undeniably charismatic.”

USA Today praised his “knack for hooks and melody.”

And American Songwriter said, “Songwriting seems to come easily to Hutchinson.”

I got a chance to catch up with Eric a few months ago to hear about his musical journey so far.

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This episode was orginally aired on June 24th, 2016.

Originally from South Berwick Maine, the legendary songwriter has lived in Texas for the last couple decades. He reflects on getting his start engineering sound at The Cactus Cafe and learning from music producer Gurf Morlix.

Our guest this week is David Shaw, the lead singer and principal songwriter of the rock band The Revivalists.

Originally hailing from Hamilton, Ohio, Shaw moved south to New Orleans after college graduation. A chance encounter with guitarist Zack Feinberg helped launch The Revivalists in 2007. After years of relentless touring, the band broke through nationally with 2015’s Men Amongst Mountains and the single “Wish I Knew You,” which went to number one at alternative radio and has since been certified triple platinum. The band has since amassed more than 1.6 billion streams worldwide.

Along the way, The Revivalists have opened for The Rolling Stones, The Black Crowes, and Dr. John. They’ve appeared at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, the New Orleans Jazz Fest. They’ve also performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Austin City Limits.

 “Wish I Knew You” earned an iHeartRadio Music Award nomination for Alternative Rock Song of the Year, while the band was nominated for Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist. Rolling Stone described their sound as “a Crescent City-rhythm spin on jam-band jubilee,” and Billboard has called them “a compelling blend of musical ingenuity and heart.”

I got a chance to catch up with David a few weeks ago to hear about his musical journey so far.

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This episode was originally aired on August 22nd, 2024.

This legendary musician and songwriter was integral to the Staxx Records sound, and has writing credits on "Green Onions" and "Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay".

Our guest this week is Erin McAnally, the daughter of legendary songwriter and guitarist Mac McAnally. Born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and raised in Nashville, Erin grew up surrounded by the music business. Over the years, she has worked in A&R, music publishing, and film and television scoring. 

Alongside her husband and frequent collaborator Mick Utley, she co-wrote songs with Jimmy Buffett, including “Audience of One” and “Nobody Works on Friday,” both of which appeared on Buffett's final album, Equal Strain on All Parts, released posthumously in 2023. She is also a founding member of Floating Collective, a musical project with Utley and Brendan Mayer, all three of whom are children of members of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. The group released its debut album in 2024. 

Today, Erin serves as Executive Director of Songwriters of North America, advocating for the rights of working songwriters. Her work has taken her to SXSW, Americanafest, and Folk Alliance.

I got a chance to catch up with Erin McAnally to hear about her musical journey so far.

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This episode originally aired on April 1, 2022.

The creative force behind Against Me!, describes founding the band, working with producer Butch Vig, and navigating the waters of the major label system in the late 2000s.

Recorded live at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Joe Pug interviews beloved songwriter John Moreland. TWS Forum is an annual event that the podcast hosts in June. Listeners take in concerts by the headlining artists and then attend workshops from them during the day. This was the 2nd annual event. The headliners and dates for next year's Forum will be announced this month.

The iconic singer songwriter reflects on her last few decades at the vanguard of American folk music.

This episode was originally aired on June 3rd, 2022.

Our guest this week is one of Louisville, Kentucky’s favorite sons. Jim James is a native Kentuckian who rose to prominence as the vocalist and creative force behind the celebrated rock group My Morning Jacket.

“The Jacket,” as they are affectionately called by their fans, released their debut album The Tennessee Fire in 1999 and took the country by storm with their legendary live show. Since then they’ve released a slew of critically acclaimed albums, including 2008's Evil Urges and 2011's Circuital, which both charted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200.

The group has recorded for Capitol, RCA, ATO, and V2, and toured with Bob Dylan, Wilco, Guided by Voices, and the Foo Fighters. In addition, the hard-charging band has appeared at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Coachella, Newport Folk Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Glastonbury, the Bridge School Benefit, and pretty much any festival of note. They’ve also been frequent guests on late night TV including Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

In more recent years, Jim has been part of the group Monsters of Folk, along with M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and Mike Mogis, and he’s also released a string of solo albums including this year’s title, Wowed Out.

Pitchfork has called the Jacket’s sound “huge, ghostly, terrifying rock ‘n’ roll.” The Guardian has dubbed the band’s output as “seven albums of resplendent melodies.” And NPR has said that his music has “the sound of a lost soul in search of something bigger than himself.”

I got a chance to catch up with Jim a few weeks ago to hear about his musical journey so far.

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This legendary folk songwriter stops by the show to discuss her techniques for sculpting melody, structuring the bridge of a song, and navigating the ever-shifting sands of the music business.

This episode was originally aired on August 20th, 2021.