PODCAST · music
The Working Songwriter
by Joe Pug
Joe Pug hosts a weekly conversation with one of today's best songwriters. The Working Songwriter is a part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsOver 300 catalog episodes available to stream in the Nation of Heat Vault. Visit joepugmusic.com/vault
Episodes
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Classic Episode - Laura Jane Grace
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.
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Live Episode - John Moreland at the 2026 Working Songwriter Forum
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…
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Classic Episode - Dar Williams
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.
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Jim James
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...
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Classic Episode - Amy Ray
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.
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Gary Louris
Our guest this week is one of the godfathers of modern roots and Americana music. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Gary Louris moved to Minneapolis as a young man in the 1970s and immersed himself in a Twin Cities music scene that punched way above its weight culturally. His group, The Jayhawks…
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Classic Episode - Chuck Ragan
This episode originally aired on April 15th, 2022 This songwriter has spent the last few decades building a devoted following with Hot Water Music and also with his own solo project. He discusses getting his start in the 1990s Florida Hardcore scene, getting his legendary Revival Tour off the...
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Fruit Bats return!
Our guest this week is one of Chicago’s favorite sons. Eric D. Johnson is the songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist behind Fruit Bats, which started in the late 1990s as a four-track recording project before growing into a full touring band. Over the years, Johnson has been a member of The...
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Classic Episode - Frank Turner
This episode was originally aired on April 8th, 2022. Fresh on the heels of his latest album hitting #1 on the UK Charts, this journeyman songwriter and performer stops by the show to discuss his beginnings in Hardcore music, many years of touring, and writing methods.
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Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons
Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter hails from a small mountain town in California, but his music has now made it across the world. Jay Buchanan got his start in the early 2000s with a solo project before joining ranks with a rock band and forming Rival Sons. Since 2008, that group has...
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Classic Episode - Allison Russell
This episode was originally aired on June 18th, 2021. After many years in celebrated roots music groups such as Po' Girl, Birds of Chicago, and Our Native Daughters, this songwriter has released a critically acclaimed debut album under her own name.
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Chicago Farmer
Our guest this week is Cody Diekhoff, better known as Chicago Farmer. He grew up in the small farming community of Delavan, Illinois, before moving to Chicago in 2003. Over the past two decades, he has built a devoted following through relentless touring, first as a solo performer and more…
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Classic Episode - They Might Be Giants
This episode originally aired on November 5th, 2021. John Flansburgh, one of the founding members of this groundbreaking indie-rock institution, stops by the show to talk about his creative process and how his band has navigated the music business for the last four decades.
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Gabe Dixon and Mike Mattison of the Tedeschi Trucks Band
Our guests this week are Gabe Dixon and Mike Mattison of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, the Grammy-winning roots ensemble led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Formed in 2010, their debut album, Revelator, won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album, and the group has since become one of the country’s...
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Classic Episode - Robert Finley
This episode was originally published on March 5th, 2021. The renowned troubadour from Louisiana found his commercial success in music later in life; he reflects on the journey that brought him to that peak. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
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Novelist, Stephen Markley
This week on The Working Songwriter, we're thrilled to step out of our normal comfort zone by welcoming one of the country's most acclaimed young novelists. Originally from Mount Vernon, Ohio, author Stephen Markley now makes his home in Los Angeles. He attended Miami University (of Ohio) for his...
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Classic Episode - Dashboard Confessional
This episode originally aired on June 25th, 2021. Chris Carrabba, the auteur behind this legendary emo band, discusses the twists and turns of a career that has included Gold records, MTV music awards, and truly devoted fanbase.
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Dale Watson
Our guest this week was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but, just like Davey Crockett, got to Texas as soon as he could. Dale Watson began his musical career playing the clubs of Houston before decamping to Austin and becoming a fixture in the live music capital of the world. The music machine in...
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Classic Episode - Marcus King
This Greenville, South Carolina native is a Grammy-nominated troubadour known for his tireless touring schedule. Originally aired on December 18th, 2020.
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Joe Pernice
Our guest on the Working Songwriter this week hails originally from Boston, Massachusetts and now makes his home in Toronto. Joe Pernice got his musical start, though, in Northampton, MA. At the time, it was a hot bed of indie music creativity. His band the Scud Mountain Boys built a loyal...
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Classic Episode - Joan Osborne
This episode was originally aired on September 18th, 2020. The celebrated singer and songwriter describes her initial ascent to the top of the charts with her debut album and how she has been able to string together many interesting chapters of her career.
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Eddie Schwartz
Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter hails from Canada and has spent over four decades writing hit songs. Eddie Schwartz got his start as a solo artist, but has found great success writing for and with other artists. His song "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" was recorded by Pat Benatar and...
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Classic Episode - Kevin Morby
The Kansas City bred songwriter tells the story of his journey toward his distinctive brand of indie rock. This episode originally aired on October 9, 2020.
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Mary Chapin Carpenter
Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter hails from my neck of the woods, Washington, D.C. Mary Chapin Carpenter got her start in the proto-Americana music scene of 1970s and '80s D.C. She broke out of that local circuit with her signing to Columbia Records; her debut album went quadruple...
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Classic Episode - John Craigie
This episode was originally aired on August 14th, 2020. This troubadour based in Portland OR has carved out a national audience for his heartfelt, wry folk songs. He speaks about crafting his shows, keeping them fresh night to night, and recording albums in an unconventional way.
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Charles Kelley of Lady A
Our guest on the Working Songwriter this week hails from Augusta, Georgia, but has made his professional bones in Music City, USA. Charles Kelley was one of the founding members of Lady Antebellum – now known as Lady A – and is one of the group’s principal songwriters. Their crossover hit, “Need...
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Classic Episode - Courtney Marie Andrews
This episode originally aired on November 30th, 2018. The acclaimed songwriter from Phoenix talks about touring as a backup musician, producing her own breakout album, and her love of the road.
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Ricky Montgomery
Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter resides in Los Angeles, but spent many of his formative years in St. Louis, Missouri. Ricky Montgomery first built an audience on Vine in his early twenties before releasing his self-titled debut album in 2016. That bedroom pop album was a cult…
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Classic Episode: Lee Ann Womack
This episode was originally aired on June 29th, 2018 One of Nashville's favorite daughters, by way of Jacksonville Texas, discusses arriving for writing appointments with children in tow, finding song inspiration in everyday conversation, and dealing with the success of an international crossover...
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Fruition
Our guests this week got their start busking on the streets of Portland, Oregon, but it wasn't long before their popularity pulled them onto the open road. Jay Cobb Anderson and Kellen Asebroek are pivotal and founding members of roots music band Fruition. They have toured with Greensky…
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Classic Episode: Lydia Loveless
This episode originally aired on December 29th, 2017. The Ohio native discusses her passion for classic country, capturing the vitality of live performance on a record, and her habit of constantly collecting material for writing.
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Jason Boland
Our guest today on the Working Songwriter hails from Oklahoma and is a foundational contributor to the uniquely American genre of Red Dirt music. Jason Boland released his first album, 'Pearl Snaps,' in 1998 and has been on the road ever since. Nightclub by nightclub, fan by fan, he's built a...
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Classic Episode: Heartless Bastards
This episode originally aired on April 28th, 2017. Erika Wennerstrom, the creative force behind Heartless Bastards, discusses growing up in Dayton Ohio, signing to Fat Possum Records, and her techniques for bringing a song to life.
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Yung Lan
Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter originally hails from Virginia, but made his bones in the bustling hip-hop scene of Atlanta. Yung Lan began producing tracks on his laptop as a novice with no ties to the formal music business. Signing a modest publishing deal got him in the room with...
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Classic Episode: Elizabeth Cook
This episode originally aired November 29, 2019. This native of Wildwood Florida is known for her critically acclaimed albums, her XM radio show, and her frequent appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. She breaks down the early years of her career and persevering through difficult times to make art.
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Ray Fulcher
Our guest this week hails from Harlem, Georgia. Ray Fulcher is one of Nashville's most sought-after modern country songwriters. He first broke through co-writing a string of chart-topping hits for Luke Combs – including the multi-platinum "When It Rains It Pours" – before stepping into the...
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Classic Episode: John Moreland
This episode originally aired on August 31, 2018. The Tulsa troubadour describes his transition from hardcore music to folk, how to put on a compelling live show solo, and staying inspired even when the creative process is painful.
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Hayes Carll returns again
Our guest this week on The Working Songwriter hails from The Woodlands, Texas. Hayes Carll is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller whose sharp wit and plainspoken poetry first broke through with his 2002 debut, 'Flowers & Liquor.' That was followed by 2008's 'Trouble in Mind,' which delivered…
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Classic Episode: Nicole Atkins
This episode originally aired on September 27, 2019. The Nashville via New Jersey vocalist and songwriter discusses the turn of the century anti-folk scene in NYC, her major label debut being derailed by legendary producer Rick Rubin, and sobriety.
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Evan Bartels
Our guest this week hails from Tobias, Nebraska, a town of about 100 people. Evan Bartels is a singer-songwriter who with his 2017 debut, 'The Devil, God & Me,' burst onto the national scene. More recently, Bartels has expanded his audience with the release of his EP, 'To Make You Cry,' recorded...
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Remembering Joe Ely
The Texas music icon passed away this week. Ten years ago he was the inaugural guest of this podcast. It was so gracious of him to sit down for a show that was just starting. He was always generous with his time and attention to younger artists. Another devastating loss for American music. This...
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Dave Stewart
This legendary British songwriter and producer went multi-platinum with his band Eurythmics before embarking on a career that has included collaborations with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty, and many others.
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Remembering Todd Snider
The Bard of East Nashville passed away last week at the age of 59. We are re-airing his episode of the podcast which was originally published in March of 2020.
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Tami Neilson
This singer songwriter grew up playing in a family band in Canada before moving to New Zealand and beginning a career of her own. She has since shared the stage with Willie Nelson and Emmy Lou Harris, and built an audience all over the globe.
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Ron Pope
This songwriter rose to prominence with the viral success of his single, "A Drop in the Ocean", and has navigated a flourishing career for the past two decades.
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The Swell Season
The musical partnership of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova has captivated worldwide audiences, even earning them an Academy Award in 2007 for the song "Falling Slowly".
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Howard Jones
This English musician was one of the defining voices of synth-pop throughout the 1980s and has built a remarkable career as a songwriter spanning four decades.
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Greta Morgan
This prolific songwriter has fronted projects such as The Hush Sound, Gold Motel, and Springtime Carnivore. She has just written a memoir entitled "The Lost Voice" published by Harper Collins, that explores her struggle after losing her singing voice to a health condition.
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Dillon Warnek
Originally hailing from the Pacific Northwest, this promising young songwriter played as a sideman in many other bands before stepping into the spotlight with his own records. He's toured with Courtney Marie Andrews, Erin Rae, and many others.
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Dillon Warnek
Originally hailing from the Pacific Northwest, this promising young songwriter played as a sideman in many other bands before stepping into the spotlight with his own records. He's toured with Courtney Marie Andrews, Erin Rae, and many others.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Joe Pug hosts a weekly conversation with one of today's best songwriters. The Working Songwriter is a part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsOver 300 catalog episodes available to stream in the Nation of Heat Vault. Visit joepugmusic.com/vault
HOSTED BY
Joe Pug
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Working Songwriter have?
The Working Songwriter currently has 361 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Working Songwriter about?
Joe Pug hosts a weekly conversation with one of today's best songwriters. The Working Songwriter is a part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsOver 300 catalog episodes available to stream in the Nation of Heat Vault. Visit...
How often does The Working Songwriter release new episodes?
The Working Songwriter publishes regularly with 361 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Working Songwriter?
You can listen to The Working Songwriter on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Working Songwriter?
The Working Songwriter is created and hosted by Joe Pug.
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