Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Songwriters Hall of Famer, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Academy Award winner, and iconic lyricist Bernie Taupin chats about his longtime collaboration with Elton John, his love for Merle Haggard and Leonard Cohen, the unprecedented approach to his new solo record, and much more. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about Paul's recent Dove Award win, Scott's brand new soul book, and why this episode instantly became Paul's favorite in Songcraft history. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with the legendary Bernie Taupin

ABOUT BERNIE TAUPIN

Bernie Taupin is one of...

Former New Bohemians bandmates Edie Brickell and Matt Chamberlain talk about their songwriting processes and their new group, World Famous Pets.

PART ONE
Paul talks about his encounter with Prince!

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Edie Brickell and Matt Chamberlain

ABOUT EDIE BRICKELL AND MATT CHAMBERLAIN

Singer-songwriter Edie Brickell and drummer-composer Matt Chamberlain comprise one half of the group World Famous Pets, but they first began working together when Chamberlain joined Edie Brickell and New Bohemians before the band’s second album, Ghost of a Dog, in 1990. Edie fi...

Grammy winner and Americana Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Buddy Miller chats about everything from his signature guitar licks, to finding the right ramp for Solomon Burke, to the theme of sadness that runs through his joyful-sounding new solo album - his first in 22 years! 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott reflect on the songwriting, life, and loss of the incomparable Dolly Parton

PART TWO:
Scott's in-depth conversation with one of his favorite artists, Buddy Miller

ABOUT BUDDY MILLER:
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and Americana music legend Buddy Miller has worked with W...

Multi-Grammy-nominated and international multi-platinum artist Lukas Graham chats about his evolution as a writer, from his breakthrough with "7 Years" up through his latest album, Good Times. 

PART ONE
The latest chapter in Paul and Scott's fierce disagreement over perfect rhyme versus slant rhyme in lyrics

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Lukas Graham

ABOUT LUKAS GRAHAM
The multi-Grammy-nominated artist Lukas Graham came to international prominence in 2016 with the song “7 Years,” an anthemic piano ballad that topped the charts in multiple countries and was certified 12-times platinum by the RIAA in the U...

Two-time GRAMMY nominee and Americana Music Association Award nominee Maggie Rose joins us to chat about the development of her creative voice and her excellent new album, Half Moon. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott discuss Brandie Carlile's recent live cover of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited," which leads to a conversation about cover songs before spiraling out of control into despair about aging. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Maggie Rose

ABOUT MAGGIE ROSE
Maggie Rose earned her first GRAMMY nomination, for Best Americana Album for her No One Gets Out Alive LP...

Country Music Hall of Famer, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, 2-time Country Song of the Year GRAMMY winner, and 5-time BMI Country Songwriter of the Year Paul Overstreet gives us a peek behind the curtain of his legendary career. 

PART ONE:
Scott does his best not to throw a certain individual under the bus with a very funny story involving Paul Overstreet. Plus, the guys pay tribute to the late Joe Melson, past Songcraft guest and primary Roy Orbison collaborator. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Paul Overstreet

ABOUT PAUL OVERSTREET

The legendary Swamp Dogg returns to Songcraft after more than a decade to talk about, well, whatever he wants. And we're here for it! 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott contemplate their second visit with Swamp Dogg

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with the original D-O-double G!

ABOUT SWAMP DOGG

R&B cult favorite Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams is best known as the co-writer, with Gary U.S. Bonds, of the cross-genre classic, “She’s All I Got,” which became a Top 10 R&B single for Freddie North and a #2 country hit...

Indie troubadour and Rolling Stone darling Brian Dunne gets real about his work as a songwriter who take the craft seriously. 

PART ONE: 
Paul and Scott talk about the Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, musical gibberish, Michael Jackson's lyrical theft, Scott's Cameroonian music phase, and perhaps the most irritating song mashup of all time. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Brian Dunne

ABOUT BRYAN DUNNE
Brian Dunne is a New York–based singer-songwriter whose sharp storytelling, dark humor, and blue-collar perspective have earned him a devoted following in the Americana and indie...

Known for co-writing Jewel's "You Were Meant For Me," Steve Poltz has spent more than three decades as a singer-songwriter-performer of the first order, earning international applause and fans worldwide with his inspired brand of rock-influenced countrified folk Americana. This incredibly witty and insightful conversation is a true inspiration.

PART ONE
Paul and Scott chat about supergroups. What qualifies as a supergroup? What so-called "supergroups" don't live up to the hype? We're not afraid to do a hard-hitting investigation!

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Steve Poltz

ABOUT STEVE POLTZ
...

Rising hip hop influencer Cameron McCloud lets us in on his journey and his process

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about a song that's getting a lot of hate online and consider how the internet has redefined how we hear music. 

PART TWO: 
Our in-depth conversation with Cameron McCloud

ABOUT CAMERON McCLOUD
Cure for Paranoia is the Dallas-based alternative hip hop collective fronted by Cameron McCloud. Crowned "Rap Group of the Year" by the Dallas Entertainment Awards in 2025 and "Artist of the Year" in 2026, the group’s name came abou...

Singer/songwriter, virtuoso guitarist, and multiple Grammy winner Molly Tuttle chats about her wide-ranging musical personality that encompasses bluegrass, folk, Americana, and rock.

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott wade into the controversy to share their opinions about the New York Times' recent list of the 30 Best Living American Songwriters. Listen at your own risk!

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Molly Tuttle

ABOUT MOLLY TUTTLE:
In 2017, California-born Molly Tuttle became the first female winner of the International Bluegrass Music Awards’ Guitar Player of the Year, an honor she won again in...

Grammy nominated songwriter Pynk Beard (aka Sebastian Kole) chats about his extensive work as a behind-the-scenes pop creator and gives us insight into his latest country-flavored album project. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul chat about their recent travels and how they find ways to make music tourism a part of any trip.

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Pynk Beard

ABOUT PYNK BEARD:
Pynk Beard is the artistic persona of Alabama-born Coleridge Tillman, who has already made a splash as a successful songwriter under the name Sebastian Kole. Growing up a...

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Songwriters Hall of Famer Lou Gramm shares stories about his career, from his pre-Foreigner days all the way to his latest album, Released. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul chat about Scott's solemn vow to Lou Gramm, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and how multi-national bands just might be a model for social healing. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Lou Gramm

ABOUT LOU GRAMM
Lou Gramm is best known as the powerhouse vocalist for the band Foreigner, which hit the scene in 1977 with th...

GRAMMY-nominated songwriting and production team Jenna Andrews and Stephen Kirk chat about their contributions to the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, their success with the huge BTS hit "Butter," and balancing their professional and personal lives as partners. 

PART ONE
Lest you think it a dead subgenre, Paul and Scott revisit their examination of the "stutter rock" phenomenon with a modern day twist. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Jenna Andrews and Stephen Kirk

ABOUT JENNA & STEPHEN
Both professional and life partners, the Grammy-nominated songwriting and production team of Jenna Andrews an...

Two-time GRAMMY and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee Rich Robinson joins us to chat about his songwriting with The Black Crowes. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott talk about their deep Black Crowes history that goes all the way back to high school. Then they revert to their high school selves and try to make each other laugh by proposing ridiculous imaginary partnerships between artists and restaurant chains (think Michael McDonald's or Ice-T.G.I. Fridays).

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes

ABOUT RICH ROBINSON

A legend to the legends! Jeff Barry was named one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time and is inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "Tell Laura I Love Her." "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby," "(Christmas) Baby Please Come Home," "Chapel of Love," "River Deep - Mountain High," "Doo Wah Diddy," "Leader of the Pack," "Hanky Panky," "Sugar, Sugar," "I Honestly Love You." It's mind boggling! 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott chat about crossing a new friendship milestone and the l...

Rival Sons front man Jay Buchanan takes us deep into the writing process for his fantastic debut solo album, Weapons of Beauty

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul talk about Scott's experiences at the GRAMMY Awards

PART TWO
Our in depth conversation with Jay Buchanan

ABOUT JAY BUCHANAN
Jay Buchanan is best known as the front man of the rock band Rival Sons whose catalog includes the landmark albums Pressure & Time, Great Western Valkyrie, and Feral Roots, which earned GRAMMY nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance. Hand-picked by...

Alexa Ray Joel, the daughter of legendary singer/songwriter Billy Joel and supermodel/actress Christie Brinkley, talks about her own experiences as a songwriter and performer who draws from a deep well of personal experiences. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott talk about...(gasp!) NEW music! 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Alexa Ray Joel

ABOUT ALEXA RAY JOEL
Singer, songwriter, and pianist Alexa Ray Joel released her debut EP Sketches in 2006 and has since released a series of singles, including the most recent, “Heavy Eyes.” The daughter of legendary singer-songwriter Billy...

18-time Grammy nominee and American musical legend Taj Mahal goes deep on his influences and his approach to the craft. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott kick off the new year with a discussion about the nominees for the upcoming Grammy Awards. And more! 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Taj Mahal

ABOUT TAJ MAHAL
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal has mastered the blues form and has further built upon it by incorporating world music influences and expanding the boundaries of the genre. Growing up in Massachusetts, he made his wa...

We've been celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, for our final "classic episode" of 2025, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with "All I Want for Christmas" co-writer Walter Afanasieff. Happy holidays and thanks for a great year of looking back together as we continue to look toward the future!

ABOUT WALTER AFANASIEFF

Thirteen-time Grammy nominee and two-time winner Walter Afanasieff is best known for his collaborative songwriting and production partnership with Mariah Carey that yielded hit singles such as “Can’t Let Go,” “Dreamlover,” “Hero,” “With...

GRAMMY winner and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Mike Reid chats about his remarkable musical life. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul talk about the sports games and so much more

PART TWO
Our in depth conversation with Mike Reid

ABOUT MIKE REID

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Mike Reid has written twelve #1 country songs and has had his work recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Anita Baker, Bette Midler, Prince, George Michael, Nancy Wilson, Etta James, Kenny Rogers, Ann Murray, Wynonna Judd, Alabama, Joe Cocker, Tanya Tucker, Willie Nelson, Collin Raye a...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with Elvis Costello. 

ABOUT ELVIS COSTELLO

Released between 1977 and 1979, Elvis Costello’s first three albums—My Aim is True, This Year’s Model, and Armed Forces—were all included in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. That early period of his recording career yielded now-classic singles such as “Alison,” “Watching the Detectives,” “Pump it Up,” “Radio Radio,” “Oliver’s Army,” “Accidents Will Happen,” and others.

Though he established his...

Grammy-winning producer and singer-songwriter Joe Henry gives us insight into his multi-faceted career

PART ONE
Paul and Scott chat about their music-themed road trip and say R.I.P. to MTV. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Joe Henry

ABOUT JOE HENRY
Joe Henry is a singer-songwriter who became a record producer as a protege of T Bone Burnett. He went on to win Grammy awards for his work with Solomon Burke, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Bonnie Raitt. Additionally, he produced the final albums of the lat...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with the late Todd Snider. 

ABOUT TODD SNIDER

Celebrated singer-songwriter Todd Snider has continued the troubadour legacy of mentors like John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, while putting his uniquely clever, wry, sly, and often irreverent spin on folk, rock, country, and Americana. Launching his career on Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Records, Snider has spent more than two decades touring relentlessly, both on his own and with legendary artis...

Number one Funkateer Bootsy Collins takes us to Funk University! From his days in James Brown's group, to his work with Parliament/Funkadelic and Booty's Rubber Band, to his recent single that raises awareness about domestic violence, "the world's only rhinestone rock-star doll" tears the roof off the sucker and breaks it all down for us. Songcraft wants the funk!  

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott discuss particularly recognizable bassists and chat about their expectations of what they thought Bootsy would be like before he landed the mother ship on Songcraft. 

PART TWO:
Our in...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with Richard Marx. 

ABOUT RICHARD MARX:

Grammy-winning performer Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums as an artist, but if you only know him from late 1980s ballads such as “Hold on to the Nights” and “Right Here Waiting,” you only know part of the story. A prolific songwriter, Marx has landed fourteen songs at the top of various Billboard charts, and has written a #1 single in each of the last four...

From "King Tut" to the top of the bluegrass charts! Grammy and IBMA award-winning banjoists and songwriters Steve Martin and Alison Brown join us to chat about their respective careers and their first full-length collaborative album, Safe, Sensible and Sane. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott chat about how impressed they are with all the various hats Alison Brown and Steve Martin wear, while also trying to wrap their heads around the seeming complexity of the banjo. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Steve Martin and Alison Brown

ABOUT STEVE MARTIN AND AL...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with Stax legend David Porter.

ABOUT DAVID PORTER 
Named one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time,” Porter is best known for his songwriting partnership with Isaac Hayes that helped define the sound of Memphis’s legendary Stax Records. As the first African American staff songwriter at Stax, Porter, along with his partner, wrote and produced songs such as “B-A-B-Y” for Carla Thomas, “Your Good Thing (Is About to End)”—an R&B hi...

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Shawn Camp pulls back the curtain on his varied career, including his latest album of songs that were composed with the legendary Guy Clark.

PART ONE
Scott and Paul talk about how technology is changing the songwriting game, and other old man complaints. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Shawn Camp  

ABOUT SHAWN CAMP
Singer/songwriter Shawn Camp has written chart-topping hits such as “Two Pina Coladas” by Garth Brooks, “How Long Gone” by Brooks & Dunn, “Would You Go With Me” by Josh Turner, and “River of Love” by George S...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2019 conversation with Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls. 

ABOUT EMILY SALIERS
Singer-songwriter Emily Saliers is best known as one half of  Indigo Girls, which NPR called “one of the finest folk duos of all time.” The Georgia-raised musical icon is the sole writer of some of the group’s best-known titles, including “Closer to Fine,” “Hammer and a Nail,” “Galileo,” “Least Complicated,” “Power of Two,” “Get Out the Map,” and others. With fifteen studio albums to their credit, Indigo G...

Whitney Phillips, Grammy-nominated songwriter and member of the ensemble cast of the Netflix show Hitmakers, talks about life as a modern-day pop writer

PART ONE
Paul and Scott dive into the idea of a "perfect song" and discuss some examples of songs they think just might fit into that elusive category.

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Whitney Phillips

ABOUT WHITNEY PHILLIPS
Whitney Phillips is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and vocal producer known for her genre-blurring versatility and sharp pop instincts. Originally from Seattle and now based in Los Angeles and...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2022 conversation with Roland Orzabal. 

ABOUT ROLAND ORZABAL AND TEARS FOR FEARS:

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith formed Tears for Fears in Bath, England, in 1981 and have gone on to sell 30 million albums worldwide. Their major breakthrough in the UK came in 1982 with the Top 5 single “Mad World” and the subsequent platinum-selling album The Hurting. They gained major steam in the US with their sophomore album Songs From the Big Chair, which included the h...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with David Crosby and our 2023 conversation with Graham Nash. 

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Americana Award winner and Grammy nominee Hayes Carll chats about the development of his songwriting and the highly personal nature of his latest album, We're Only Human.   

PART ONE
Paul and Scott talk about the unfortunate history of songs about rock & roll.

PART TWO
Scott's in-depth conversation with Hayes Carll

ABOUT HAYES CARLL

Singer, songwriter, and Americana mainstay Hayes Carll hit the scene in 2002 with his independently released debut album, Flowers & Liquor. The follow-up, Little Rock, featured songs co-written with Ray Wylie Hubbard and Guy Clark, and became the fi...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with Dan Wilson. 

ABOUT DAN WILSON

Songwriter, singer, musician, producer and acclaimed visual artist Dan Wilson is a Minnesota native and Harvard graduate who launched his music career with the band Trip Shakespeare, which was signed to A&M Records. He went on to co-found the rock band Semisonic, whose platinum-selling Feeling Strangely Fine album yielded the singles “Secret Smile,” “Singing in My Sleep,” and “Closing Time,” a chart-topping hit that earned Dan a...

Five-time Grammy winner, ACM Poet's Award honoree, and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Mary Chapin Carpenter opens up about her process and reflects on her approach to the craft. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott geek out hard on Elvis and legendary songwriter Doc Pomus. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Mary Chapin Carpenter

ABOUT MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER
Mary Chapin Carpenter is a five-time Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and performer who has been nominated 18 times in categories ranging from country to Americana to folk to general Record of the Year. Making a...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2017 conversation with Vince Gill. 

ABOUT VINCE GILL
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Vince Gill launched his solo career in the mid-1980s, hitting the Top 10 on Billboard’s country singles chart a remarkable 25 times. All but one of those hits was written or co-written by Gill, and a dozen of his compositions have been nominated for either CMA Song of the Year, ACM Song of the Year, or the Best Country Song Grammy. These inc...

The All-American Rejects frontman discusses the evolution of his songwriting process and what it means for him to embrace his art.  

PART ONE
Paul and Scott talk about their upcoming music-themed road trip.

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Tyson Ritter of The All-American Rejects

ABOUT TYSON RITTER
Tyson Ritter is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and primary lyricist of The All-American Rejects. Formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1999, the band quickly rose to prominence in the early 2000s with their infectious blend of pop-punk and emo rock. Their s...

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2019 conversation with Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson. 

ABOUT VALERIE SIMPSON

Six-time Grammy nominee Valerie Simpson is best known as one half of the songwriting, production and performing duo of Ashford and Simpson, which she formed with musical partner and eventual husband Nick Ashford after they met at a church in Harlem, New York, in the early 1960s.  After early successes with Aretha Franklin’s recording of “Cry Like a Baby” and Ray Charles’...

Two-time Grammy winner and songwriting superhero Patty Griffin joins us for a wide-ranging discussion about her craft

PART ONE
Reflecting on the lives of recently-departed songwriters Alan Bergman and Ozzy Osbourne, which might be the only time those two were discussed in the same conversation! 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Patty Griffin

ABOUT PATTY GRIFFIN
Patty Griffin is a singer’s singer and a songwriter’s songwriter. With a catalog of finely-crafted selections that includes “Let Him Fly,” “One Big Love,” “Top of the World,” “Rain,” “Long Ride Home,” “Heavenly Day,” “Up to the M...