Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for the Old 97s, hosts “Wheels Off” a show about the messy reality of the creative life. Conversations with musicians, writers, artists, actors, and comedians about the pivotal moments that shaped their work, what it means to create in a digital age and grapple with the challenges, and the joy, of living a creative life.
Site
RSS
Apple
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
This week on Wheels Off, Rhett welcomes longtime friend, collaborator, and Turnpike Troubadours frontman Evan Felker. Evan joins Rhett from his ranch in Oklahoma for a candid conversation about the Troubadours’ resurgence, his creative process, and why stepping away from the road made the band even more popular. The two dig into songwriting—where ideas come from, the discipline it takes to finish them, and why sometimes the best songs start with a line overheard in passing.
Follow Rhett @rhettmiller
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.
Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ray Benson
Episode 228
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 • Duration 51:03
In this wide-ranging conversation, Rhett welcomes the legendary Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel to Wheels Off for a candid, wisdom-packed chat about music, longevity, and learning by doing. Ray shares stories from his early days as a folk-singing kid, reflects on collaborating with icons like Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, and offers practical advice for young musicians navigating today’s music industry. From tuba lessons to Grammy wins, Ray reveals how staying open, curious, and grounded has shaped his remarkable creative life.
Follow Ray @raysroadhouse
Follow Rhett @rhettmiller
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.
Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sigrid Nunez
Episode 217
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 • Duration 46:07
Sigrid Nunez, one of our most celebrated literary voices, joins Rhett for a conversation about writing, adaptation, and the creative process. She shares her experience of seeing her novels adapted for the screen and reflects on how film adaptations, much like cover songs, bring a new vision to a writer's work. The two discuss her writing process, transition to short stories, and the unofficial trilogy formed by her last three novels, including "The Vulnerables." Drawing wisdom from her career and the influences of writers like Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolf, she provides a candid look at what it takes to sustain a life in writing. When asked what advice she would give her 21-year-old self, her response is simple: keep writing.
Follow Sigrid Nunez https://sigridnunez.com
Follow Rhett @rhettmiller
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Michaela Anne
Episode 128
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 • Duration 29:08
Singer-songwriter Michaela Anne joins Rhett from her home in Nashville, TN to talk about her new record, converting lyrics into children’s books, and why being a new mother doesn’t give her the time or energy to feed into negativity. Michaela explains how she found her lane,, and why you don’t need to fit into the country music mold to be a country musician.
Michaela Anne is a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, NY who currently lives in Nashville, TN. Her music incorporates elements of country, pop, indie rock, and Honky Tonk, and she has released four albums since officially launching her career in 2014. Her fifth album, Oh to Be That Free, comes out on June 10, and will add another breathtaking installment to her discography of dazzlingly unique Americana sounds.
Pre-save her upcoming album, Oh To Be That Free, here.
Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Matt Dwyer. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.
Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off premium CBD products.
Visit GradysColdBrew.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off your first purchase of New Orleans-style coffee & cold brew.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Eric Pulido
Episode 127
Tuesday, May 3, 2022 • Duration 37:09
Eric Pulido, front man for indie rock pioneers Midlake, joins Rhett on this episode to talk about celebrating failure, finding balance while grappling with ambition, and recognizing the moment when you have to take a leap of faith. Eric tells Rhett about the inspiration behind their song Bethel Woods, and shares the advice he would give to his younger self.
Indie Folk Rock pioneers Midlake formed in Denton, Texas, in 1999. Currently comprised of Eric Pulido, McKenzie Smith, Eric Nichelson, Jesse Chandler, and Joey McClellan, the band’s 5th studio album For the Sake of Bethel Woods was released on March 18th, 2022. Produced to layered, loving perfection by John Congleton, For the Sake of Bethel Woods is an album of immersive warmth and mystery from a band of ardent seekers, one of our generation’s finest: a band once feared lost themselves by fans, perhaps, but here revivified with freshness and constancy of intent.
Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Matt Dwyer. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.
Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off premium CBD products.
Visit GradysColdBrew.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off your first purchase of New Orleans-style coffee & cold brew.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Walter Martin
Episode 126
Tuesday, April 26, 2022 • Duration 19:39
Walter Martin is a multi-award-winning songwriter first known for his work with New York rock 'n' roll bands The Walkmen and Jonathan Fire*Eater. In this episode, Walt joins Rhett to talk about his prolific and varied songwriting career, the importance of separating art and commerce, and the creative freedom he enjoys as an independent artist.
In 2014 Martin launched a solo career and has subsequently released five studio albums: two Parents’ Choice award winning family albums (2014's We're All Young Together and 2017's My Kinda Music) and three critically acclaimed albums for adults (2016's Arts & Leisure, 2018's Reminisce Bar & Grill and 2020’s The World at Night. In March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, Martin released two collections of unreleased songs (Common Prayers; Green Beans & Tangerines).
A much anticipated new album, The Bear, was released on March 25, 2022.
Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Matt Dwyer. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.
Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off premium CBD products.
Visit GradysColdBrew.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off your first purchase of New Orleans-style coffee & cold brew.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kristin Hersh
Episode 125
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 • Duration 43:07
Songwriter, guitarist and singer, Kristin Hersh joins Rhett from her home in Rhode Island to talk about recording with 50FOOTWAVE, a musical collective she founded in 2004 under the theory that ‘music doesn’t belong in the music industry’. Kristin shares stories from her days as a young artist in the Boston music scene, grappling with the pressures of the industry, and what it means to lose yourself in the work. The two discuss the difference between creating art for art’s sake versus selling your art as a product, and being humbled by the complexity of humanity.
Kristin Hersh’s prolific career has seen her heralded queen of the alternative release. Songwriter, guitarist and singer, Kristin Hersh has released over 20 records solo, with Throwing Muses and 50FOOTWAVE. She released her tenth studio album, 'Possible Dust Clouds' in 2018.
Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Matt Dwyer. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.
Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off premium CBD products.
Visit GradysColdBrew.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off your first purchase of New Orleans-style coffee & cold brew.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hillary Grace Fretland
Episode 124
Tuesday, April 12, 2022 • Duration 27:37
This week Hillary Fretland joins Rhett to talk about her band, Fretland, and the making of their latest album, Could Have Loved You. You’ll hear Hillary and Rhett discuss being gentle with the lessons you learn along the way, breaking the rules in music, and Hillary does a deep dive on her fan-favorite song “Do You Think of Me” from Fretland’s last album.
Hillary Fretland is the leader of the sensational Americana band, Fretland, whose sound mixes fragile alt-country with passionate gushes of indie rock. From Snohomish, WA, Hillary was inspired by her mother to play music when she was young, and 10+ years of playing and writing songs has led to two exceptional albums for Fretland in just two years. Fretland has racked up more than a million streams with their aching ballads, leaf-strewn sound, and gently spun secrets, and in this episode you’ll hear all about the creative process of their front woman.
Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Matt Dwyer. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.
Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off premium CBD products.
Visit GradysColdBrew.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off your first purchase of New Orleans-style coffee & cold brew.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ketch Secor
Episode 123
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 • Duration 33:01
Frontman and fiddler for Old Crow Medicine Show, Ketch Secor, joins Rhett from his longtime home of Nashville to talk about the upcoming Old Crow Medicine Show album, the difficulty of writing songs about social and political issues, and why there are so many things to sing about today that make the heart heavy. Ketch explains why moving around a lot as a kid helped to shape him as an artist, and discusses his incredible career in one of the top Americana acts of the last 20 years.
Ketch Secor is a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, a Grammy Award—winning group that has been inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry. In 2017 and 2018, Old Crow Medicine Show released three critically acclaimed albums: Best of Old Crow Medicine Show (Nettwerk), 50 Years of Blonde On Blonde (Columbia Nashville), a reimagined version of Bob Dylan's classic Blonde on Blonde album, and Volunteer (Sony Music Nashville).
Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Matt Dwyer. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.
Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off premium CBD products.
Visit GradysColdBrew.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off your first purchase of New Orleans-style coffee & cold brew.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jack Torrey
Episode 122
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 • Duration 26:34
Jack Torrey, one half of the indie band The Cactus Blossoms, joins Rhett from his home in Minneapolis to talk about getting back on the road, writing and recording a new record during the pandemic, and why he was content to not have a plan other than playing music. Jack tells Rhett about the impact that Bob Dylan had on his writing, and explains what he means when he says he’s the “eye of the storm”.
“Hey baby, do you wanna take a trip with me? / I’ve got a feeling there might be a silver lining all around.” So begins One Day, the captivating new album from critically acclaimed Minneapolis duo The Cactus Blossoms. Written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the record explores the tension between optimism and despair that’s defined much of the past few years of American life, examining the power (or naïveté, depending on your perspective) of positive thinking in the face of chaos and uncertainty. The songs here are tender and timeless, with straightforward arrangements centered around brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum’s air tight harmonies, and the performances are warm and intimate to match, delivered with a soulful, ’70s-inspired palette of playful Wurlitzer, breezy guitars, and muscular percussion.
Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Justin Thomas. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.
Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off premium CBD products.
Visit GradysColdBrew.com and use the promo code WHEELSOFF for 20% off your first purchase of New Orleans-style coffee & cold brew.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
Discover shows related to Wheels Off with Rhett Miller, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
