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.
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Rhett sits down with his longtime bandmate and creative partner, Murry Hammond for a conversation about their 35+ years of making music together—from early songwriting days in Dallas to their latest solo and collaborative albums.
Hammond opens up about the evolution of his creative process, the emotional weight that shapes his songwriting, and how depression, humor, and stubborn dedication all feed his art. It's an episode that captures the rare intimacy of two lifelong friends and collaborators reflecting on their shared creative journey, and the enduring partnership that fuels one of alternative country’s most beloved bands.
Out now! Listen to Rhett’s new album “A lifetime of riding by night” https://rhettmiller.com/
Listen to Murry’s latest release “Trail Songs of the Deep https://murryhammond.com/
Catch Rhett and Murry on tour this fall
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. 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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amanda Shires
Episode 233
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 37:10
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter opens up about her new album, her journey from fiddle prodigy to songwriter, and how painting, practice, and persistence fuel her creative life.
Rhett Miller sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Amanda Shires during AmericanaFest in Nashville. The two reminisce about their lives in music, and Amanda reflects on the challenges of moving from sideman to frontwoman. She shares the personal discipline that keeps her grounded, and how her creativity spills across mediums—from songwriting to painting giant canvases. What starts as an interview quickly becomes a two-way conversation, as Amanda flips the script and asks Rhett questions of her own.
Listen to Rhett’s new single and pre-order his forthcoming album “A lifetime of riding by night” here
Get Amanda Shires’ new album “Nobody’s Girl” here
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. 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
Matt Nathanson
Episode 232
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 • Duration 55:11
Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson joins Rhett for a fast, funny, and candid conversation about craft and survival. They dig into the constant hum of the inner critic, and the strange mix of persistence and delusion it takes to stay in the game. From KISS posters and Pixies deep cuts to journaling, therapy, and squirrel jokes, Matt opens up about what it really takes to keep making art in a noisy world.
Follow Matt Nathanson @mattnathanson
Follow Rhett @rhettmiller
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. 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
James McMurtry
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 • Duration 29:58
James McMurtry, hailed as one of our greatest living songwriters, joins Rhett for a candid conversation about the craft of songwriting, life on the road, and the realities of sustaining a career in music. Known for his sharp storytelling and uncompromising perspective, McMurtry opens up about his process, from finding inspiration in small details to shaping lyrics around the musicality of the human voice.
They discuss the making of his latest record, Black Dog and the Wandering Boy (New West Records), working with producer Don Dixon, and how the touring life remains both a necessity and a joy. McMurtry reflects on influences like Kris Kristofferson, lessons from decades in the business, and why persistence and endurance matter more than inspiration.
Follow James: jamesmcmurtry.com
Follow Rhett @rhettmiller
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. 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, Lucinda Williams, Stewart Copeland, 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
Samantha Fish
Episode 230
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 • Duration 27:15
Fresh off the release of her new album Paper Doll, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Samantha Fish joins Rhett to discuss balancing life on the road with creative work, the vulnerability of songwriting, and her evolution as a guitarist. She opens up about overcoming shyness and stage anxiety, and reflects on the fine line between challenging yourself and staying true to who you are.
Follow Samantha @samanthafishmusic
Follow Rhett @rhettmiller
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. 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, Stewart Copeland, 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
Evan Felker
Episode 229
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 • Duration 29:37
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
Josh Rouse
Episode 225
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 • Duration 36:41
Rhett welcomes singer-songwriter Josh Rouse for a wide-ranging conversation about carving out a life in music. Josh reflects on coming of age in a different era of the music business—when CDs still mattered and labels took chances—and how the ground beneath that world has shifted. The two dive into fatherhood, the struggle to stay creatively motivated, and what it means to be a working musician in a culture obsessed with virality.
Follow Josh @ joshrouse.com
Follow Rhett @rhettmiller
Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Justin Thomas. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven.
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
Kristina Murray
Episode 224
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 • Duration 27:55
Singer-songwriter Kristina Murray joins Rhett to discuss the creative journey behind her new record Little Blue (New West Records), a project that was years in the making. From long nights in honky-tonks to building her own community of musicians and collaborators, Kristina’s story is one of grit, heart, and unwavering commitment to the work. She opens up about the lessons of patience, learning from and celebrating other women in music, and what it means to finally feel supported—while still doing the heavy lifting herself.
Listen to her new album LIttle Blue
Follow Kristina @kristinamurray_
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.
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
Chris Trapper
Episode 223
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 • Duration 36:49
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Chris Trapper joins Rhett to talk about his winding, decades-long path through music—from lip-syncing Tom Jones as a kid to signing a major label deal with The Push Stars and building a solo career defined by resilience, honesty, and hustle. From his early days with The Push Stars to his recent solo album—written in the wake of personal loss—Chris opens up about creativity as therapy, the business of being an artist, and how a lack of a backup plan can sometimes be the best motivator. He shares the importance of optimism, the necessity of forgetting bad gigs, and the quiet power of sticking with it—even when there’s no backup plan.
Listen to his new album Watching Sparks Fly By
Follow Chris @christrapperofficial
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.
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
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