Ep. 251 - RYAN MILLER of Guster

Guster's Ryan Miller discusses his songwriting process before Scott, Paul, and Ryan go totally off the rails on 80s pop songs, Sebastian Bach, and other random stuff. One of the most fun interviews we've had in a while! PART ONE:Paul and Scott chat about the time Paul opened for Guster, their friend who met his wife thanks to Guster fandom, and the phenomenon of social cultures forming around certain performers. PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Guster's Ryan MillerABOUT RYAN MILLER:Ryan Miller is best known for his work with the alternative rock band Guster. With nine studio albums and a dedicated live following, the band has topped Billboard’s independent albums chart with Evermotion in 2015 and Look Alive in 2019. Among their top 5 singles on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart are the songs “Amsterdam,” “Careful,” “One Man Wrecking Machine,” “Satellite,” and “Overexcited.” In addition to his work with the band, Miller has composed the scores for over 15 feature films, and launched his own TV show on Vermont PBS. The creative omnivore has also written a screenplay, a musical, and several feature articles. But Miller always returns to the band he loves. Guster’s most recent album is 2024’s Ooh La La.   

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 Nigro. ABOUT DAN NIGRO:Dan Nigro is a record producer and songwriter who has produced and written songs for and with Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Sky Ferreira, Joe Jonas, Kylie Minogue, Lewis Capaldi, Caroline Polacheck, Dermot Kennedy, Maisie Peters, and Conan Gray. He has been nominated for 13 Grammy awards, and won the Grammy for Producer of the Year for 2024. He was also named ASCAP Songwriter of the Year for the same period. When we originally caught up with Dan in 2021 he was enjoying the success of Sour, his first album with Olivia Rodrigo.   

Best known for his song "Electric Love" (with nearly 2 BILLION streams on Spotify!), BØRNS took some time off and has now reinvented his sound with a fantastic new EP. PART ONE: Paul and Scott talk about Omnivore Recordings, a new Buck Owens LP, who they wouldn't want to invite over to Songcraft world headquarters, and other random stuff. PART TWO: Our in-depth conversation with BØRNSABOUT BØRNS:Michigan native and Los Angeles based singer-songwriter BØRNS is best known for the platinum-selling single “Electric Love” from his 2015 album Dopamine on Interscope Records. The follow-up album, Blue Madonna, included the singles “Sweet Dreams” and “God Save Our Blood,” featuring Lana Del Rey. After a departure from Interscope and a recording hiatus, he returned with the Suddenly EP in 2023, which marked a sonic shift to a more organic aesthetic. That same year, he and girlfriend Courtney Farren released the Together Together EP. BØRNS’ most recent EP is the retro-infused Honeybee, which was released in early 2025.  

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 Lucinda Williams. ABOUT LUCINDA WILLIAMSOne of the most revered songwriters on the face of the earth, Lucinda Williams was once crowned “America’s Best Songwriter” by People magazine. She first gained widespread attention after Mary Chapin Carpenter made her song “Passionate Kisses” a Top 5 hit, which earned Lucinda a Grammy award for Country Song of the Year. She went on to release a string of critically-acclaimed albums that garnered her a total of 15 Grammy nominations spanning the genres of rock, pop, country, folk, and Americana. One of the primary architects of the Americana genre, Lucinda has received more Americana Music Association award nominations than nearly any other artist, and she was the first female recipient of the AMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting. VH1 named her one of the 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll, while Rolling Stone named her among its 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. In addition to her own success as an artist with songs such as “I Just Wanted to See You So Bad,” “Right in Time,” “Essence,” “Righteously,” “Are You Alright,” “Come On,” and “Real Love,” the daughter of famed poet Miller Williams has also had her songs recorded by Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Patty Loveless, Bettye LaVette, and many others.  

Six-time Grammy winner, Academy Award nominee, and Songwriters Hall of Famer Glen Ballard joins us to talk about his work with Michael Jackson, Alanis Morrisette, Dave Matthews, and many others!PART ONEPaul and Scott talk about the awesomeness that is Omnivore Recordings, dig into the Fire Aid concert, and talk about their '90s music geekery. PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Glen BallardABOUT GLEN BALLARDFollowing an entry-level job at Elton John’s Rocket Records in Los Angeles, Glen Ballard began his creative career as a staff songwriter for MCA Music Publishing. Early singles included George Strait’s “You Look So Good in Love” and Jack Wagner’s major hit “All I Need,” which Glen also produced. In the mid-1980s he went to work for Quincy Jones, an era when he and Siedah Garrett co-wrote Michael Jackson’s triple platinum single “Man in the Mirror.” By the dawn of the 1990s, Glen had begun collaborating with Wilson Phillips, co-writing their chart topping hits “Hold On” and “You’re in Love.” He went on to produce and co-write all the songs on Alanis Morissette’s debut album, Jagged Little Pill, including “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket,” “All I Really Want,” “Ironic,” “You Learn,” and “Head Over Feet.” The project earned the Album of the Year Grammy, and Glen returned to produce and co-write Alannis’s sophomore release, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, including the hit “Thank U.” Other songs from the Glen Ballard songbook include Aerosmith’s “Pink” and “Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees,” as well as the Dave Matthews Band’s “I Did It” and “The Space Between.” Glen earned a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “Believe,” which he co-wrote with Alan Silvestri for the film The Polar Express. He has written and produced songs for Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Ringo Starr, Van Halen, Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, and many others. In recent years, Glen has found major success in musical theater, including writing original lyrics and music for GHOST the musical, and teaming again with Alan Silvestri to write the score for the musical adaptation of Back to the Future. Glen has won six Grammy awards, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023. 

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 milestone 100th episode with the legendary Lamont Dozier! ABOUT LAMONT DOZIERLamont Dozier, along with brothers Eddie and Brian Holland, wrote and produced more than 20 consecutive singles recorded by the Supremes, including ten #1 pop hits: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Back in My Arms Again,” “I Hear a Symphony,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” “Love is Here and Now You’re Gone,” and “The Happening.” Other Top 5 singles they wrote for the Supremes include “My World is Empty Without You” and “Reflections.” In addition to their hits with the Supremes, Holland, Dozier, and Holland helped further define the Motown sound by writing major pop and R&B hits such as “Heat Wave,” “Nowhere to Run,” and “Jimmy Mack” for Martha and the Vandellas, “Mickey’s Monkey” for the Miracles, “Can I Get a Witness” and “You’re a Wonderful One” for Marvin Gaye, and “(I’m A) Road Runner” for Junior Walker and the All Stars. The trio found particular success with The Four Tops, who scored hits with their songs “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” “It’s the Same Old Song,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” and “Bernadette.” Additional hits include “Crumbs Off the Table” for Glass House, “Give Me Just a Little More Time” for Chairmen of the Board, “Band of Gold” for Freda Payne, and Dozier’s own recording of “Why Can’t We Be Lovers.” Hit cover versions of his songs by rock artists include “Don’t Do It” by the Band, “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)” by the Doobie Brothers, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by James Taylor, and “This Old Heart of Mine” by Rod Stewart. With hits spanning multiple decades, Dozier also co-wrote “Two Hearts” with Phil Collins, earning a #1 pop hit, a Grammy award, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination. Dozier is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award for songwriting, as well as the BMI Icon award. Lamont Dozier was additionally named among Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes joins us to talk about the evolution of humor in his songwriting, why he's transparent with his fans, and maybe the most Bob Dylan of Bob Dylan stories we've ever heard. PART ONE:Paul and Scott address the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area, and encourage people to help make a difference by considering a donation through one of four organizations: Fire Aid (fireaidla.org)The Red Cross (redcross.org)MusiCares (musicares.org)World Central Kitchen (wck.org) PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Taylor Goldsmith of DawesABOUT TAYLOR GOLDSMITH:Taylor Goldsmith is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the folk-influenced rock band Dawes. The group, which also includes Taylor’s brother, Griffin, has released nine full-length studio albums, six of which have hit the Top 5 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums chart, and four of which have hit the Top 10 on Billboard’s rock chart. In addition to his work with Dawes, he has been a member of the band Middle Brother with Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit and John McCauley of Deer Tick. Taylor also contributed to T Bone Burnett’s New Basement Tapes project—which completed unfinished Bob Dylan songs—alongside Marcus Mumford, Jim James, Rhiannon Giddens, and Elvis Costello. As a songwriter outside the band, Taylor has collaborated with The Killers, Conor Oberst, Brandon Flowers, Robert Ellis, Demi Lovato, and his wife Mandy Moore. The most recent Dawes album, released in October of 2024, is called Oh Brother. Sadly, not long after our conversation, both Taylor and his brother Griffin became victims of the massive Southern California wildfires that devastated portions of the Los Angeles area and severely damaged or destroyed their homes.  

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. What better way to kick things off than where it all began? Here's a look back at episode one and our conversation with Jim Peterik.  ABOUT JIM PETERIKSinger, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist Jim Peterik is best known as a founding member of the band Survivor and the co-writer of their Grammy-winning double platinum #1 hit single, “Eye of the Tiger.” But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Thirty-five of Jim’s songs have appeared on the Billboard Pop chart, including seven Top 10 singles. His first major success came when his original band, Ides of March, took the Peterik-penned “Vehicle” to the #2 position on the Pop chart in 1970, spawning cover versions by Chet Baker and Shirley Bassey. After a stint as a solo artist with Epic Records, Jim formed Survivor in 1979, penning a string of hits for the band, including “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High On You,” “The Search is Over,” “Burning Heart,” and “Is This Love.” While still writing hits for his own group, Jim forged a successful partnership with the members of 38 Special, co-writing classic songs, including “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Hold On Loosely,” and “Caught Up In You.” Widely respected as a top-notch collaborator, Jim has co-written successful songs with a number of artists, including the Beach Boys, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, the Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Mindi Abair. The long list of those who have covered his compositions includes Paul Anka, Gloria Gaynor, Tony Orlando, Reba McEntire, Larry Gatlin, Blackhawk, and The Outlaws. He is the co-author, with Dave Austin, of Songwriting for Dummies. 

Songcraft celebrates ten years with a look back at episode highlights and behind-the-scenes stories from our first decade! Plus, a few announcements about what's new in 2025. 

Six-time Grammy winner, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, and Kennedy Center honoree Amy Grant joins us to chat about the pursuit of honesty in songwriting, the stories behind some of her songs, and her catalog of modern day Christmas classics. PART ONEPaul and Scott chat about the idea of a "definitive" version of a Christmas song, discuss their favorites, debate about Christmas songs they love and hate, and delve into Scott's elementary school crush on Amy Grant. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Amy GrantABOUT AMY GRANTPerhaps the most influential pioneer of the Contemporary Christian Music genre, Amy Grant released her first album while still in high school. Her fourth album, 1982’s Age to Age, found unprecedented success with hit singles such as “Sing Your Praise to the Lord” and “El Shaddai.” Age to Age topped the Christian album chart for 85 weeks, earned Amy her first Grammy award, and became the first Christian album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. Her 1984 album Straight Ahead spawned hits with Amy’s original compositions “Thy Word” and “Angels,” and became the first Christian album to land on the Billboard 200. By the mid-1980s, she further crossed over to mainstream success when “Find a Way,” which she wrote with Michael W. Smith, hit the Top 40 on Billboard’s pop chart. The following year, Amy reached the top of the pop chart with “The Next Time I Fall,” a duet with Peter Cetera. Her 1991 album Heart in Motion sold 5 million copies and spawned four Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the self-penned hits “Baby Baby” and “Every Heartbeat.” That same year, she enjoyed another Top 10 pop hit as a songwriter with Michael W. Smith’s “Place in This World.” Amy continued to find mainstream success in the mid-1990s with singles such as “House of Love,” a duet with her now-husband Vince Gill, as well as the songs “Lucky One” and “Takes a Little Time,” which she wrote with Keith Thomas and Wayne Kirkpatrick, respectively. Starting with 1983’s A Christmas Album, holiday music has been an important part of Amy Grant’s artistry. She has since released the albums Home for Christmas, which was certified three-times Platinum; A Christmas to Remember; Tennessee Christmas; and The Animals’ Christmas, a collaborative album with Art Garfunkel featuring songs by Jimmy Webb that explore the nativity story from the perspective of the animals. Amy’s original songs “Tennessee Christmas” and “Breath of Heaven” have become modern day holiday standards. Her Christmas concerts, often featuring husband Vince Gill and longtime collaborator Michael W. Smith, have become a holiday tradition. To date, Amy has released twenty studio albums and has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Seventeen of her albums have reached #1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart, more than any other artist in history. She has won 6 Grammy awards, 26 Dove awards, and has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Amy has received honorary doctorates from two universities, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021. She was a recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievement in 2022.