Leah Ashton joins the podcast to talk about her newest release, “sad girl silver bells.” It’s an EP of merrily melancholy holiday tunes with an original called “Christmas Isn’t Christmas Without You.” It’s out everywhere now, so go save it to your playlists, get a mug of hot cocoa and enjoy the episode! Listen to Christmas Without You & Add to Playlists Follow Leah Ashton More About Leah: Leah Ashton is a Los Angeles-based artist with Midwestern roots whose style and sound is grounded in the...
Dec 16, 2024•45 min
In this episode of the Song Saloon, Sadie Gustafson-Zook, a Boston-nurtured, Indiana-based jazzy folk musician, talks about her journey and inspirations behind her song 'Autumn's Fragrance.' We talk about her collaboration with other musicians, her views on the music communities in different cities, and her new EP, 'What I Pushed Below.' Sadie has a live show in LA at the Harmony Room on October 19th for you LA folks! Follow Sadie Gustafson-Zook for more music, and sign up for an online voice/so...
Sep 25, 2024•42 min
Jake's lying to Anna. He's an interesting dude! Jake is a songwriter, educator, dueling pianist, podcaster, improv comedian, academic, and musical theater composer. I think you'll really enjoy this episode about Jake and his life leading up to his album "Idling High." This song is out now, make sure to follow Jake for updates on the album! Listen to the song Send us a text Support the show Song Saloon Links Join The Song Saloon Mailing List Tiktok + Instagram...
Aug 28, 2024•46 min
Zack Fischmann, an LA based artist, makes the bold claim that music marketing "doesn't have to suck." He does make some pretty convincing arguments, and has plenty of success to show for it, jumping from 200 followers on Instagram to 33k+ in just a few months! Magic Nothing is an evolving project with a focus on helping independent musicians develop practical skills, share resources and exchange services. Check out Magic Nothing Listen to Zack's music project, Marmalade Mountain! His song "Drawi...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Lotti is the musical moniker of Filipina singer-songwriter Vealy. Lotti's aim is to create modern yet timeless music, drawing from pop, R&B, and soul influences. Her artistic mission is to heal and transform, narrating a personal journey of self-discovery and growth. Follow Lotti Listen to "Butterflies in My Garden" Send us a text Support the show Song Saloon Links Join The Song Saloon Mailing List Tiktok + Instagram...
Jun 26, 2024•36 min
Brad Miles is a singer/songwriter based in Texas. He’s written, played, and performed music for nearly three decades. He writes honest, heartfelt, accesible, and emotionally vulnerable Americana/Country. I do want to add a trigger warning for this episode, we do get into some heavy topics both in the song and the interview, as the song is about domestic abuse. Brad Miles’s goal as a songwriter and performer is simply to connect with others and share a moment of compassion, empathy, and understan...
Jun 12, 2024•43 min
Today's episode I meet with Jeffrey Derus, our first featured choral composer! I think you'll find there is a lot in common with songwriting and composing choral works. This featured song is performed by Choral Arts Initiative, a small ensemble choir that I sing in that exclusively performs works by living composers. We recently released a #1 Classical Billboard charting album called "The Tapestry of Becoming," and this song "The House of Belonging" is the opener. This episode, Jeff talks about ...
May 22, 2024•56 min
Meet Cogito! I met Cogito when she played as the featured artist for Lazy River Presents in LA. This song struck me as something special, and I think you'll agree! This episode we talk about the importance of recording the world around us as a songwriter, and how to connect our conscious and subconscious mind to make deep rooted art. Listen to "There's Nothing Left to Me": Spotify Apple Music Follow Cogito on Instagram Send us a text Support the show Song Saloon Links Join The Song Saloon Mailin...
May 08, 2024•45 min
Today's episode features Kat Sophia! Kat Sophia is an Orange County / LA based artist. We talk about her journey in overcoming her "people pleaser" mentality and cultural blocks to pursuing a career as an artist. 00:00 Introduction to the Song Saloon 00:34 Kat Sophia's Musical Journey 01:49 The Story Behind 'Fade Away' 10:10 Songwriting Process and Inspiration 16:12 Overcoming Personal and Cultural Barriers in Music 20:09 Community and Affirmation 28:10 Exploring Self-Indulgence and Connection T...
Apr 24, 2024•47 min
This episode of the Song Saloon features Mike McClellan, a Burbank-based songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. McClellan shares insights into his approach to songwriting as a music producer, and why he writes while working so heavily in production. He discusses the impact of working on his song 'The Afterlife,' a piece inspired by the pandemic, highlighting the new life it took on post pandemic with its abstract and universal themes. Mike and Jordan exchange thoughts on the lyricism, ...
Apr 10, 2024•42 min
This episode is with incredible Kent, England raised Los Angeles based artist named Georgia Parker on her song "Twin Flame." "Twin Flame" is a single off her upcoming album this year! Georgia's bio: Los Angeles based songwriter and storyteller from Kent, England, Georgia Parker places an emphasis on powerful vocal performances and poignant lyricism to draw out an emotive response from her listener. She has been releasing music and performing around the US since moving to the States at 18. Her un...
Mar 27, 2024•35 min
In this episode of the Song Saloon, we explore the songwriting process and inspirations with indie pop singer-songwriter Casey Conroy, originally from Orlando, Florida. Casey discusses her journey in the music industry, her approach to songwriting, and the story behind her song 'Glad You Hate Me.' We talk about Casey's collaborative relationship with her partner and producer Willy, the importance of being authentic in the creative process, and staying emotionally connected to music through writi...
Mar 13, 2024•35 min
Inside Story: The Making of 'Rest of My Life' by Jacob Khalil New York based artist Jacob Khalil discusses his song, 'Rest of My Life', explaining that it was created with the intent of engaging audiences in a sing-along during live performances, much like The Beatles' 'Hey Jude'. He also shares insights into the song's development and production, which included collaboration with a Los Angeles-based producer, Jacob Sigmund. Jacob Khalil discusses the extensive touring plans he has coming up and...
Feb 28, 2024•40 min
Meet Fresh Hot Waffles, the witchiest folk duo in the west! Fresh Hot Waffles consists of LA based artists Maddi Fraser and Ryan Spitzel. In this episode, the duo dives into their songwriting process and talk about how to stay inspired as a songwriter, and where they find inspiration. The discussion ranges from the challenges of writing upbeat songs, the influence of improv comedy and emotional experiences in lyric writing, and how to put the witchy in witchy folk! 'Monsters Aren't Scary' is abo...
Feb 09, 2024•59 min
Meet Wendy Parr! I first met Wendy at NAMM where she gave a fantastic workshop on artistic branding. Talk about branding can sometimes feel fake or like you’re going against your better judgement to sell something, but what I love about her approach is how natural it becomes. It's about getting to the heart of what YOU love and care about as an artist, and making steps to show that side of yourself more consistently. In this episode, Wendy Parr and I discuss the importance of recognizing one's i...
Jan 26, 2024•53 min
LA based artist Austin Carr joins the Song Saloon to talk about Cool Kid. The song lyrics have a lot to do with Los Angeles. Austin expresses his frustration with the prevalent attitude in LA to be in the "in" crowd and what people are willing to do to get there. As he was writing the song, he realized with regret that he is guilty of a lot of the behavior he started out trying to criticize. It's a really great blend of emotions and makes for great songwriting. Hope you enjoy the episode! Listen...
Jan 12, 2024•38 min
Happy Holidays! Well, here it is folks. The last episode of The Song Saloon for 2023! This episode of The Song Saloon welcomes guest Robert Ballantyne Willis, a classically trained cellist, music producer and audio engineer, to discuss the production process of the Jordan Smith Reynolds holiday single 'Auld Lang Syne'. The duo go deep into music production, including the quick turn-around time for this project, and the creative solutions employed to achieve the final product. They cover various ...
Dec 22, 2023•35 min
This episode's featured song is "Gold" by Lennon Vanderdoes. Lennon Vanderdoes is a Phoenix based singer-songwriter. You may have seen Lennon recently tearing it up on The Voice. He moved John Legend to tears with his rendition of Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up." On the episode, Lennon discusses his method for creating songs from raw personal experiences like growing up in the Mormon church, marrying young, and divorcing in his early twenties. He also talks about his evolution as a songwriter, an...
Dec 08, 2023•37 min
This week, I met up with Mara Sol, a singer, songwriter and producer from Coachella Valley, California. From a young age, Mara has been immersed in musical theater, classical voice training and has now found her way into songwriting. Mara Sol is influenced by artists like James Taylor and Fleetwood Mac. In this episode, we discuss her song 'Take Me Home', a collaboration with songwriter and guitarist Tom Sless. Mara also discusses her career in marketing and how she made her way to songwriting a...
Nov 24, 2023•39 min
Excited to have Brother James on this week’s episode. I recently wrote a song with Brother James that I’m really excited about! Brother James is the artist project of singer-songwriter Justin Sinclair. His songs, deeply influenced by classic songwriters like McCartney and Randy Newman, authors like Leo Tolstoy and Aristotle, and monasticism. His songs feature honest self-reflection. Brother James discusses how his songs document his pursuit of truth and attempt to express love for other people. ...
Nov 10, 2023•41 min
Meljii has the soundtrack for your autumn adventure! Meljii writes music for recreational readers. Her music contains clever, playful, verbose lyrics over a unique blend of funky indie rock grooves with jazz-influenced harmonies. Aside from being a songwriter, Meljii is a music school-trained session player specializing in bass, guitar, and guitar-like instruments. She has lived and traveled all over the world, as a Navy brat and also someone who just gets bored easily, having lived in Japan for...
Oct 27, 2023•31 min
Ethan Buckner is an activist and singer-songwriter, but only recently has found a way to fuse those two major roles in his life. Ethan helped organize the March to End Fossil Fuels held this March in New York City, where about 75,000 people showed up! After an A list headliner artist didn’t work out, Ethan flew his band in, rehearsed the morning of the march, and performed his new and extremely fitting single "Eyes on the Prize." Be sure to look for his upcoming single "Treading Water" out on No...
Oct 13, 2023•32 min
I met Rachel Siegel at the ASCAP experience where her song was selected for feedback by a panel of professional songwriters. I loved her songwriting and vocal performance, and I'm excited to introduce you to her now! Music as a means to heal is not a new concept but Rachel Siegel, a New Jersey native, certainly represents it uniquely. Rachel’s story is one of grief, struggle, and overcoming. She invites us into this journey through her fervent but approachable pop music. An artist who writes for...
Sep 29, 2023•30 min
This episode brought to you by nepotism! But seriously, Guy Richey Gibbons may be my cousin but he is also an incredible songwriter/producer! Guy released his debut album "In this Moment" just last year, but he didn’t stay in that moment for long. He’s gearing up to release a full second album, with several singles already released! In this episode, Guy gives an exclusive preview of his song "Love Somebody," which is scheduled for release on September 22nd. I’ll include the fully recorded versio...
Sep 13, 2023•29 min
Hannah Siglin is an accomplished folk singer-songwriter, classically trained guitarist, and professional "singing garden fairy!" Her love of nature is a common theme in her work, particularly in "Persimmon." She keeps a very busy schedule performing in wineries, breweries, and other venues in the Spokane region. This episode we really dive into the craft, and Hannah walks us through some of her choices with guitar in hand. Enjoy this look at Hannah's upcoming, unreleased song "Persimmon." Follow...
Aug 30, 2023•34 min
Conner Cherland talks about his new single "Drugs," off of his first ever full length album, recently crowdfunded for $15,000! We talk about the process of creating an album, crowdfunding, writing songs with a new instrument, and the story behind the song. As Conner describes in the episode, “drugs” isn’t a song title that many who know Conner would expect. It’s less about drugs and more about how we change as we get older. Listen to Drugs by Conner Cherland on Spotify Follow Conner Cherland Sen...
Aug 23, 2023•44 min
Elthia is an artist in every sense of the word. It was fascinating to hear all the thought and planning that goes into her process. We talk in the episode about her focus on building a world for her artist project that both she and her fans get to inhabit. Enjoy stepping into the world of Elthia! Artist bio: Singer-songwriter Elthia creates indie pop music that leaves her listeners marveling at her wordplay and vibing to her ethereal, dreamy style. She enhances her artistic image by creating wea...
Aug 16, 2023•35 min
We cover A LOT of ground in this episode. Defining success in music, using music to overcome grief, live performance, setting goals, and family and community as sources of strength. Listen to Liz on Spotify Follow Taylor Sackson Send us a text Support the show Song Saloon Links Join The Song Saloon Mailing List Tiktok + Instagram...
Aug 09, 2023•45 min
This episode, we meet with David Hudson, songwriter behind the artist project "Willowspeak." David shares his artistic odyssey, from his early days of musical exploration to finding his voice in the rural Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Musical accomplishments can be as fleeting as footprints in freshly fallen snow. David reveals how his experiences as a performer on a cruise ship and his wilderness therapy journey in Southern Utah have shaped his artistic identity and growth as a songw...
Aug 02, 2023•46 min
Explore the musical transformation of Sky Olson, from a self-described bedroom player to an integral part of Utah's music scene. Listen to Sky's experiences, both personally and artistically, as he shares the story behind "Cruise Control" and its unique inception. Listen to Cruise Control on Spotify Send us a text Support the show Song Saloon Links Join The Song Saloon Mailing List Tiktok + Instagram...
Jul 26, 2023•33 min
