The Song Saloon | Songwriting, Live Performance, & New Music Discovery – Details, episodes & analysis

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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/songwriting/guitar lesson!!

"Autumn's Fragrance" is streaming now, turn off the episode and save the song and come back!

00:00 Welcome to the Song Saloon

00:28 Introducing Sadie Gustafsson Zuk

01:55 Sadie's Live Performance

05:09 The Story Behind 'Autumn's Fragrance'

06:46 Exploring Songwriting Themes

11:50 Recording and Collaborations

13:43 Songwriting Communities: New York vs. LA

20:08 Life in Goshen, Indiana

21:24 Discussing the EP "What I Pushed Below"

21:48 Themes and Inspirations Behind the EP

22:18 Reimagining Songs and Album Titles

23:40 Seasons in Songwriting

28:14 Songwriting Process and Inspirations

32:34 Balancing Teaching and Music Career

35:04 Fiddle + Viola

36:06 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Release

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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!

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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 writing & recording. 

Listen to "Glad You Hate Me"

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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 his emphasis on building a contactable fan base through an ever changing social media climate.

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Listen to "Rest of My Life"

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:28 Discussing Previous Podcast and Live Performance
01:22 Introduction to 'Rest of My Life'
01:29 The Inspiration and Creation of 'Rest of My Life'
02:33 Engaging the Audience and the Power of Sing-along
05:07 The Magic of Timeless Songs
07:31 Live Performance of 'Rest of My Life'
11:46 Post-Performance Discussion and Reflection
13:21 The Production Process of 'Rest of My Life'
16:47 The Importance of Loving Your Work
18:28 The Value of Personal Connection and Email Lists
20:02 Closing Remarks and New York Vibes
20:29 New Year's Eve Experience in Times Square
21:19 The Energy of Crowds and Shared Experiences
21:42 New Year's Gigs
21:55 Songwriting Process and Inspiration
23:23 The Evolution of a Song's Hook
24:25 The Struggle of Choosing the Right Melody
28:06 The Importance of Authenticity in Songwriting
29:05 The Journey to Finding One's Unique Sound
33:26 The Quest for Authenticity in Music
33:34 Upcoming Performances and Projects
35:51 Closing Remarks and Goodbyes

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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 about choosing life and love over our shortcomings. Be on the lookout for their new EP this year!!

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00:00 Introduction
00:35 Meet the Band: Fresh Hot Waffles
01:31 Discussing the Song 'Monsters Aren't Scary'
03:44 Songwriting Process and Evolution
04:58 Live Performance: Monsters Aren't Scary
07:39 Post-Performance Discussion and Musical Influences
10:21 Balancing Projects and Band Commitments
12:55 The Band's Formation and Songwriting Collaboration
19:40 Future Plans and Touring Aspirations
25:34 Navigating Creative Blocks and Performance Anxiety
28:33 Song Inspiration and Writing Techniques
29:36 The Power of Community in Music
29:56 WRITING LYRICS
30:34 The Influence of Joni Mitchell
31:56 The Art of Songwriting
33:40 The Emotional Journey of a Songwriter
34:00 The Challenge of Writing Upbeat Songs
37:58 Emotions in Songwriting
42:15 The Story Behind 'Monsters Aren't Scary'
46:21 The Artwork of 'Monsters Aren't Scary'

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 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 individual sound and style, as well as the role of artistic development in songwriting. We talk about personal growth, navigating the music industry, and how to continue evolving as an artist.

This is a special episode as we aren't featuring a song, instead we dive deep on songwriting, getting to know yourself as an artist, and preparing to produce your best work!

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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!

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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 production elements such as adding vocals, string quartet arrangements, backing vocals, employing AI tools for certain instrument sounds, and the thought process behind their decisions. They also discuss Robert's recent album release under the project name Tampico Lasting Love.

See you in 2024!

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Listen to "Auld Lang Syne" by Jordan Smith Reynolds

00:11 Introduction and Guest Bio

01:55 Discussing Robert's Music and Album

04:19 The Making of Auld Lang Syne

19:51 The Role of AI in Music Production

30:13 Final Thoughts and Wrap Up

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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, and how what he writes about has changed over time. Lennon also sheds light on his process for recording and promoting his music, including the balance between perfection and authenticity in recording.

Lennon just released a new holiday song titled 'December in Phoenix,' make sure to check it out!

Listen to Lennon Vanderdoes on Spotify
Go to Lennon's Website

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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 around the time of the pandemic, and shares how it has become an important outlet for her to express and understand her emotions.

Listen to Mara Sol on Spotify

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