Ep. 281 - STEVE POLTZ ("You Were Meant For Me")

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 PoltzABOUT STEVE POLTZ Steve Poltz is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band the Rugburns and is known for co-writing “You Were Meant for Me” with Jewel, which became a major hit for her in 1996. He signed with Mercury Records in the late 1990s and has since built a loyal following as an independent troubadour. Steve has released fourteen studio albums, the latest of which is called JoyRide.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rising hip hop influencer Cameron McCloud lets us in on his journey and his processPART 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 McCloudABOUT 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 about following McCloud’s diagnosis with bipolar depression and paranoid schizophrenia. Their breakthrough came when Erykah Badu’s tapped them to perform at her birthday bash, and they have since shared bills with such artists as George Clinton, Nas, Ludacris, and Leon Bridges. The group was named NPR Tiny Desk Contest finalists three times in 2023, 2024, and 2025 before winning the contest in 2026. In addition to the success of their most recent EP, Work of Art, they’ve gained attention online thanks to Cameron’s 2025 challenge to release an original verse every day on his social media channels. Tackling everything from mental health to social injustice, his rhymes earned a substantial following. Inspired by groups such as Outkast, The Roots, and a Tribe Called Quest, Cameron McCloud and Cure for Paranoia are rapidly gaining a major national audience.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 TuttleABOUT 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 2018, the same year she was named Instrumentalist of the Year by the Americana Music Awards. Though an accomplished musician, Tuttle won the IBMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year award in 2023. Her 2022 album Crooked Tree earned her a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and a nomination for Best New Artist across all categories. It was also named Album of the Year by both the IBMA, which again awarded her as Female Vocalist of the Year, and the IFMA. Molly’s follow up album, City of Gold, won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, while her most recent release, So Long Little Miss Sunshine, was nominated for the Best Americana Album Grammy. Spanning various genres, Molly Tuttle’s wide-ranging roots music explorations always bear the stamp of her unique imprint. Today she chats with us about her creative process, the evolution of her songwriting, and much more.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 BeardABOUT 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 as a preacher’s son in Birmingham Alabama, Pynk Beard’s big break came when he contributed to “Goin’ In,” which was recorded by Jennifer Lopez, featuring Flo Rida. He then signed with Motown Records as an artist and began collaborating as a writer and producer with Alessia Cara. He worked on most every track on her debut album Know-It-All, including the top 10 and multi-platinum pop hits “Here” and “Scars to Your Beautiful.” Soon after, he released his debut album as Sebastian Kole, a gospel and R&B influenced project called Soup. He continued working as a behind-the-scenes writer on songs such as “Bridges” by Fifth Harmony, “Freedom Rings” by Brandy, “Actions” by John Legend, “Time Machine” by Alicia Keys, and “Angel” by Halle Bailey, which found him collaborating with producer Neff-U and earning a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song. His debut EP as Pynk Beard is Red Dirt Diaries, which was released in October of 2025 on Red Bull Records. A country project that embraces elements of gospel, R&B and hip hop, it’s a bold new artistic direction that has quickly gained attention from fans of multiple genres.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 the now-classic hit “Feels Like the First Time.” Working with partner Mick Jones, Gramm co-wrote many of the band’s hits, including “Cold as Ice,” “Long, Long Way From Home,” “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Head Games,” “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” and “Juke Box Hero.” The late 1970s superstars successfully navigated a transition into the 1980s with synth-driven hit power ballads such as “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Say You Will,” and “I Don’t Want to Live Without You.” Gramm went on to pursue a solo career, finding success with singles such as “Midnight Blue” and “Just Between You and Me.” After a nearly 40 year break as a solo artist, Lou has recently issued his third studio album, entitled Released. Featuring 10 songs originally written in the 1980s during his era, the recordings have been completed and updated for today. Lou was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013 and, as a member of Foreigner, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 KirkABOUT JENNA & STEPHEN Both professional and life partners, the Grammy-nominated songwriting and production team of Jenna Andrews and Stephen Kirk made a major splash with their contributions to the wildly successful soundtrack for the Netflix animated hit KPop Demon Hunters. Their contributions, “Free” and “What It Sounds Like,” came on the heels of their success with the BTS songs “Proof,” “Permission to Dance,” and “Butter,” which spent ten weeks at the top of the Billboard pop chart in 2021. The pair’s combined credits include work with Drake, Little Mix, Nelly Furtado, Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell, Rita Ora, K. Michelle, and others. Both Jenna and Stephen appeared on the Netflix series Hitmakers, which spotlights the lives and careers of modern-day pop songwriters.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 CrowesABOUT RICH ROBINSON Rich Robinson is best known as the founding guitarist and one of the two primary songwriters of The Black Crowes alongside his brother Chris. Formed in Atlanta, the band’s 1990 debut album $hake Your Money Maker produced the successful singles “Jealous Again,” “She Talks to Angels,” “Seeing Things,” and a wildly popular cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.” The album earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and was eventually certified five-times platinum. The multi-platinum follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart and yielded four consecutive chart-topping rock singles with “Remedy,” “Sting Me,” “Thorn in My Pride,” “and “Hotel Illness.” Subsequent releases such as Amorica, By Your Side, Lions, and Warpaint explored new sonic territory while remaining rooted in the quintessential Black Crowes aesthetic. In total, the band has released eleven studio albums, with 2024’s Happiness Bastards, breaking a more than decade-long recording hiatus and earning the band another Grammy nomination. Over more than three decades of volatility, breakups, lineup shifts, and offstage drama, the Black Crowes are still making pure rock & roll at the highest level. Their latest album, A Pound of Feathers, was recently released, and they are among the nominees for potential induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the class of 2026.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 long road to getting to speak with the unbelievably cool Jeff Barry. PART TWO Our in-depth interview with Jeff BarryABOUT JEFF BARRY Jeff Barry began his career as a recording artist for RCA and Decca Records, but attracted more attention for his original songs. After scoring pop hits with “Tell Laura I Love Her” and Sam Cooke’s recording of “Teenage Sonata” in 1960, Jeff joined forces with Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector to pen such classics as “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Then He Kissed Me,” “Be My Baby,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” “Chapel of Love,” and “River Deep – Mountain High.” Greenwich and Barry also recorded together as the Raindrops while continuing to find success with other artists, including landing number one hits with “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy,” “Leader of the Pack,” and the Tommy James and the Shondells recording of “Hanky Panky.” Rolling Stone magazine’s 2004 list of the “500 Greatest Rock Songs” included six Barry-Greenwich compositions, more than any other non-performing songwriting team. As a producer, Barry helmed such hits as “Cherry, Cherry” by Neil Diamond and “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees. After parting ways with Greenwich, Jeff began writing with Andy Kim, with whom he had the biggest hit of 1969 when he co-wrote and produced “Sugar, Sugar” by the fictional cartoon band The Archies. A few years later, Jeff was nominated for the Song of the Year Grammy for Olivia Newton John’s 1974 chart-topping recording of “I Honestly Love You.” Additionally, he found success on the country charts in the 1970s and ‘80s with top 5 singles such as “Out of Hand,” recorded by Gary Stewart” and “Lie to You For Your Love,” recorded by the Bellamy Brothers. Never bound by genre categories, he also enjoyed top 5 R&B successes in those decades with songs such as “Heavy Makes You Happy” for the Staple Singers and “The Last Time I Made Love,” a song he wrote with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil that was recorded by Joyce Kennedy and Jeffrey Osborne. In addition to writing more than 50 different songs that have reached the top 40 on the Billboard charts, Jeff penned the theme songs for TV shows such as One Day at a Time (“This Is It”), The Jeffersons (“Movin’ on Up”), and Family Ties (“Without Us”). In 2019 he and writing partner Clarence Jey composed and wrote songs for the animated Nickelodeon show Lego City Adventures.  Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich are in the top 20 of Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Jeff has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rival Sons front man Jay Buchanan takes us deep into the writing process for his fantastic debut solo album, Weapons of BeautyPART ONE:Scott and Paul talk about Scott's experiences at the GRAMMY AwardsPART TWOOur in depth conversation with Jay BuchananABOUT JAY BUCHANANJay 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 Black Sabbath for their final tour and chosen by Guns N’ Roses for their 2025 European stadium run, Rival Sons have shared stages with The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Metallica and Lenny Kravitz. Buchanan has recently switched creative gears to release his debut solo album, Weapons of Beauty, a stark departure from his work with Rival Sons that emerged from three months of intensive songwriting sessions in the solitude of the Mojave Desert.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 ONEPaul and Scott talk about...(gasp!) NEW music! PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Alexa Ray JoelABOUT ALEXA RAY JOELSinger, 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 Joel and supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray began writing songs as a teenager. Her performances at Café Carlyle have showcased her eclectic repertoire, including original songs, Broadway numbers, and nods to her father and Ray Charles, for whom she was named. The New York Times praised her as a “singer confidently following her heart.” She has been a part of The Gap’s “Back to Blue” television ad campaign, and has ventured into the fashion world, appearing on magazine covers and participating in fashion weeks. She sang alongside her father in the final year of his Madison Square Garden residency in 2024 and says her favorite Billy Joel song is “Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel),” which he wrote for her. Alexa Ray’s “Heavy Eyes” follows on the heels of “Riverside Way,” which illustrates the sonic diversity of her music and is leading up to the release of a 5 song EP later this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.