Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Songwriters Hall of Famer, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Academy Award winner, and iconic lyricist Bernie Taupin chats about his longtime collaboration with Elton John, his love for Merle Haggard and Leonard Cohen, the unprecedented approach to his new solo record, and much more.
PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about Paul's recent Dove Award win, Scott's brand new soul book, and why this episode instantly became Paul's favorite in Songcraft history.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with the legendary Bernie Taupin
ABOUT BERNIE TAUPIN

Bernie Taupin is one of the most successful and enduring lyricists in the history of popular music. Best known for his extraordinary partnership with Elton John, Taupin has spent more than five decades writing the words to some of the most recognizable songs of the rock era, including “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Daniel,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Bennie and the Jets,” ”Candle in the Wind,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word,” “I'm Still Standing,” “Sacrifice,” and “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from the film Rocketman, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Beyond his work with Elton John, Bernie has written songs with and for Alice Cooper (“How You Gonna See Me Now”), Starship (“We Built This City”), Heart (“These Dreams”), Willie Nelson (“Mendocino County Line”), Courtney Love (“Uncool”), Brian Wilson (“What I Really Want for Christmas”), Emmylou Harris (the Oscar-nominated “A Love That Will Never Grow Old”), and many others.
In addition to his Academy Award, Taupin has been honored with two Golden Globes, the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and most recently, the Grammy’s Trustees Award in 2026.
Bernie released a spoken-word poetry album in 1971 called Taupin and released two albums as an artist, He Who Rides the Tiger and Tribe, in the 1980s. In the 1990s, his group Farm Dogs issued two albums, Last Stand in Open Country and Immigrant Sons. His brand-new solo release, The Sea Has No Mercy, finds Bernie writing some of his most intimate songs to date. His first album without a co-writer, it features Bernie crafting both lyrics and melodies that emerge from a deeply personal place.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former New Bohemians bandmates Edie Brickell and Matt Chamberlain talk about their songwriting processes and their new group, World Famous Pets.
PART ONE
Paul talks about his encounter with Prince!

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Edie Brickell and Matt Chamberlain

ABOUT EDIE BRICKELL AND MATT CHAMBERLAIN

Singer-songwriter Edie Brickell and drummer-composer Matt Chamberlain comprise one half of the group World Famous Pets, but they first began working together when Chamberlain joined Edie Brickell and New Bohemians before the band’s second album, Ghost of a Dog, in 1990. Edie first rose to prominence when the band’s debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars was released in 1988 and was certified double platinum on the strength of the hit single “What I Am.” As of 2021, Edie Brickell and New Bohemians have released five studio albums.

In addition to her work with the band and three solo albums, Edie has collaborated with Harper Simon as The Heavy Circles, with Steve Gadd and others as the Gaddabouts, and more recently, with the band Heavy Makeup. Notably, she has recorded two studio albums and one live album with Steve Martin, and the pair collaborated on the Broadway musical Bright Star. In addition to her other various musical projects, Brickell tours with her husband Paul Simon, for whom Matt Chamberlain plays drums.

Chamberlain has recorded extensively with his jazz fusion band Critters Buggin, but has also been part of the Floratone Jazz Collective with Bill Frissell, formed the grunge supergroup Painted Shield with Stone Gossard and Mason Jennings, and released an album with Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek. As a drummer he has toured and/or recorded with Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Brandi Carlile, Fiona Apple, Soundgarden, and many others. This year, Brickell and Chamberlain launched World Famous Pets, a project that was born from improvisation. The group’s self-titled debut album was just released on September 25th.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grammy winner and Americana Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Buddy Miller chats about everything from his signature guitar licks, to finding the right ramp for Solomon Burke, to the theme of sadness that runs through his joyful-sounding new solo album - his first in 22 years!
PART ONE:
Paul and Scott reflect on the songwriting, life, and loss of the incomparable Dolly Parton

PART TWO:
Scott's in-depth conversation with one of his favorite artists, Buddy Miller

ABOUT BUDDY MILLER:
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and Americana music legend Buddy Miller has worked with Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, John Fogerty, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Solomon Burke, Richard Thompson, Steve Earle, and many others. The four-time nominee earned a GRAMMY for his production work on Patty Griffin’s acclaimed Downtown Church album. He has taken home 14 Americana Music Awards, including multiple Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Instrumentalist of the Year, and Artist of the Year wins. Buddy was honored with the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 and was previously named Artist of the Decade by No Depression. In addition to serving as Executive Music Producer for ABC-TV’s Nashville series, Buddy has released seven studio albums as a solo artist, a duo album with Jim Lauderdale, and four duo albums with his wife and longtime musical partner Julie Miller. Buddy’s most recent project, his first solo album in 22 years, is the self-titled Buddy Miller.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Multi-Grammy-nominated and international multi-platinum artist Lukas Graham chats about his evolution as a writer, from his breakthrough with "7 Years" up through his latest album, Good Times.

PART ONE

The latest chapter in Paul and Scott's fierce disagreement over perfect rhyme versus slant rhyme in lyrics

PART TWO

Our in-depth conversation with Lukas Graham

ABOUT LUKAS GRAHAM

The multi-Grammy-nominated artist Lukas Graham came to international prominence in 2016 with the song “7 Years,” an anthemic piano ballad that topped the charts in multiple countries and was certified 12-times platinum by the RIAA in the United States. The self-titled album on which it appeared, known to fans as the Blue Album, was also certified Platinum. The Danish artist has built a career spanning five albums, with hits including “Love Someone,” which was certified platinum in 18 countries. His work blends soul, pop, and deeply personal storytelling, exploring themes of family, love, and resilience — from the loss of his father to becoming one himself. Lukas’s latest album, Good Times, finds him reconnecting with the Celtic, acoustic, and folk roots of his Irish father while blending them with his unique pop sensibilities. You can catch Lukas on the road now as he tours with Ed Sheeran.



Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two-time GRAMMY nominee and Americana Music Association Award nominee Maggie Rose joins us to chat about the development of her creative voice and her excellent new album, Half Moon. 

PART ONE

Paul and Scott discuss Brandie Carlile's recent live cover of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited," which leads to a conversation about cover songs before spiraling out of control into despair about aging. 

PART TWO

Our in-depth conversation with Maggie Rose

ABOUT MAGGIE ROSE

Maggie Rose earned her first GRAMMY nomination, for Best Americana Album for her No One Gets Out Alive LP, in 2025. Later that year, the Americana Music Association nominated her for Emerging Act of the Year. The recognition was hard won. After moving to Nashville in 2009, Rose released her debut album, Cut to Impress, in 2013, which yielded the Top 40 country single “I Ain’t Your Mama.” She went on to release a handful of EPs, albums, and singles that explored a broader sonic landscape, including original songs such as “Body on Fire,” “Change the Whole Thing,” “Saint,” and “Poison in My Well,” a duet with Grace Potter than earned Rose her second GRAMMY nomination in 2026. Maggie’s fifth studio album, which was just released, is called Half Moon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.