Hayes Carll joins Wheels Off for a wide-ranging, deeply reflective conversation about songwriting as a lifelong practice rather than a race. Speaking candidly about his early obsessiveness, creative doubt, and eventual comfort in his own voice, Carll traces the evolution of his process—from locking himself in a room chasing melodies to learning how to trust silence and timing.

The conversation explores how Carll writes songs today, why collaboration has become central to his creative life, and how working across different mediums has sharpened his instincts as a songwriter. He discusses the freedom that comes from not playing it safe, and the idea that creativity is not about speed or output, but about staying curious, present, and willing to be vulnerable.

Follow Hayes @hayescarll

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer is Kirsten Cluthe, Studio Kairos. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Watch the podcast on Spotify, and listen wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

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Will Johnson joins Wheels Off to talk about making Diamond City on a four-track cassette recorder, touring with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and building a creative life that spans music, painting, and writing. A conversation about patience, fearlessness, collaboration, and why the quiet stretches matter just as much as the work.

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe, Studio Kairos. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Watch the podcast on Spotify, and listen wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rhett welcomes Jonathon Linaberry, the creative force behind The Bones of J.R. Jones, for a conversation about music, artistic evolution, and the emotional realities of releasing work into the world. They discuss his new album Radio Waves, life in upstate New York, and the tension between creation and promotion.

Jonathon traces his unexpected path from punk bands and art school to becoming a one-man musical entity, reflects on anonymity and identity, and talks candidly about how writing, recording, and performing remain essential ways of processing the world. 

Follow Jonathon @thebonesofjrjones

Out now! Listen to Rhett’s new album “A lifetime of riding by night” https://rhettmiller.com/

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Watch this episode and more on Wheels Off YouTube and Spotify, listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer David Fleming joins Rhett to dig into craft, career pivots, and the true story behind A Big Mess in Texas—the wild rise-and-fall of the 1952 Dallas Texans (owned by Rhett’s grandfather). Fleming talks about finding meaning in real life, learning to “disappear” as a writer, managing deadlines without losing your mind, and why the work (not the label) is what matters. It’s a candid, funny, and generous conversation about storytelling, identity, and doing your best work—whether you call it sports writing or just great writing.

David Fleming is a Peabody-nominated correspondent for Meadowlark Media, longtime ESPN senior writer, author of Who's Your Founding Father?; Breaker Boys; Noah's Rainbow; and, A BIG MESS IN TEXAS - The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and The Craziest Untold Story in NFL History.

Out now! Listen to Rhett’s new album “A lifetime of riding by night” https://rhettmiller.com/

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Listen to previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, Stewart Copeland, Lucinda Williams, and many more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bangles’ lead guitarist talks about making a new record with John Cowsill, why she’s a “serial band member,” the magic of songwriting, imposter syndrome, and running your art like a business.

Vicki Peterson—lead guitarist and occasional lead singer of The Bangles—joins Rhett to unpack Long After the Fire, the new record with her husband John Cowsill, and a lifetime spent in bands. She talks writing alone vs. collaborating, owning covers you love, combating self-doubt, and why musicians should treat creativity like a job (with a 10 a.m. start time). She also shares what she unexpectedly learned from Paul McCartney.

Out now! Listen to Rhett’s new album “A lifetime of riding by night” https://rhettmiller.com/

Follow Vicki Peterson @vickiandjohnmusic

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Produced by Kirsten Cluthe, Studio Kairos. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rhett sits down with Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, the two young Texans behind Briscoe, a harmony-rich Americana duo making waves with their sophomore album, Heat of July.

Recorded in Nashville during AmericanaFest, the conversation covers the band’s early days at UT Austin, their musical roots, and their thoughtful approach to songwriting and performance. Rhett and Briscoe discuss the realities of being a young band in a fast-moving industry—balancing ambition with patience, dealing with imposter syndrome, and staying true to their craft.

Out now! Listen to Rhett’s new album “A lifetime of riding by night” https://rhettmiller.com/

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rhett sits down with his longtime bandmate and creative partner, Murry Hammond for a conversation about their 35+ years of making music together—from early songwriting days in Dallas to their latest solo and collaborative albums.

Hammond opens up about the evolution of his creative process, the emotional weight that shapes his songwriting, and how depression, humor, and stubborn dedication all feed his art. It's an episode that captures the rare intimacy of two lifelong friends and collaborators reflecting on their shared creative journey, and the enduring partnership that fuels one of alternative country’s most beloved bands.

Out now! Listen to Rhett’s new album “A lifetime of riding by night” https://rhettmiller.com/

Listen to Murry’s latest release “Trail Songs of the Deep ​​https://murryhammond.com/

Catch Rhett and Murry on tour this fall

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter opens up about her new album, her journey from fiddle prodigy to songwriter, and how painting, practice, and persistence fuel her creative life.

Rhett Miller sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Amanda Shires during AmericanaFest in Nashville. The two reminisce about their lives in music, and Amanda reflects on the challenges of moving from sideman to frontwoman. She shares the personal discipline that keeps her grounded, and how her creativity spills across mediums—from songwriting to painting giant canvases. What starts as an interview quickly becomes a two-way conversation, as Amanda flips the script and asks Rhett questions of her own.

Listen to Rhett’s new single and pre-order his forthcoming album “A lifetime of riding by night” here

Get Amanda Shires’ new album “Nobody’s Girl” here

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson joins Rhett for a fast, funny, and candid conversation about craft and survival. They dig into the constant hum of the inner critic, and the strange mix of persistence and delusion it takes to stay in the game. From KISS posters and Pixies deep cuts to journaling, therapy, and squirrel jokes, Matt opens up about what it really takes to keep making art in a noisy world.

Follow Matt Nathanson @mattnathanson

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James McMurtry, hailed as one of our greatest living songwriters, joins Rhett for a candid conversation about the craft of songwriting, life on the road, and the realities of sustaining a career in music. Known for his sharp storytelling and uncompromising perspective, McMurtry opens up about his process, from finding inspiration in small details to shaping lyrics around the musicality of the human voice.

They discuss the making of his latest record, Black Dog and the Wandering Boy (New West Records), working with producer Don Dixon, and how the touring life remains both a necessity and a joy. McMurtry reflects on influences like Kris Kristofferson, lessons from decades in the business, and why persistence and endurance matter more than inspiration.

Follow James: jamesmcmurtry.com

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, Lucinda Williams, Stewart Copeland, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices