Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Indie troubadour and Rolling Stone darling Brian Dunne gets real about his work as a songwriter who take the craft seriously. 

PART ONE: 

Paul and Scott talk about the Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, musical gibberish, Michael Jackson's lyrical theft, Scott's Cameroonian music phase, and perhaps the most irritating song mashup of all time. 

PART TWO:

Our in-depth conversation with Brian Dunne

ABOUT BRYAN DUNNE

Brian Dunne is a New York–based singer-songwriter whose sharp storytelling, dark humor, and blue-collar perspective have earned him a devoted following in the Americana and indie-rock worlds. A longtime fixture on the East Coast club circuit, Dunne built his career the old-fashioned way—by writing songs, touring relentlessly, and cultivating a fiercely independent DIY approach. Over the course of multiple solo albums, including Selling Things in 2020, Loser on the Ropes in 2023, and Clams Casino in 2025, he has developed a reputation for pairing deeply human observations with memorable, hook-filled songs that draw from the traditions of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Billy Joel while maintaining a distinctly modern voice.

Dunne's profile expanded internationally when his 2021 single “New Tattoo” became an unexpected hit in the Netherlands, and in 2022 he co-founded the acclaimed folk-rock collective Fantastic Cat alongside fellow songwriters Anthony D'Amato, Don DiLego, and Mike Montali. Dunne continues to balance his solo career with Fantastic Cat, earning praise for songs that explore failure, resilience, class, ambition, and the everyday struggles of modern life with equal parts wit, empathy, and heart. His work has attracted praise from Rolling Stone, where writer Joseph Hudak championed his 2025 album Clams Casino and later singled it out as his favorite album of the year. It has been described as if novelist Sam Lipsyte wrote the lyrics for Billy Joel’s Glass Houses, or if the Jason Isbell of Southeastern cut his teeth in scuzzy NYC rock clubs.

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Known for co-writing Jewel's "You Were Meant For Me," Steve Poltz has spent more than three decades as a singer-songwriter-performer of the first order, earning international applause and fans worldwide with his inspired brand of rock-influenced countrified folk Americana. This incredibly witty and insightful conversation is a true inspiration.

PART ONE

Paul and Scott chat about supergroups. What qualifies as a supergroup? What so-called "supergroups" don't live up to the hype? We're not afraid to do a hard-hitting investigation!

PART TWO

Our in-depth interview with Steve Poltz

ABOUT STEVE POLTZ

Steve Poltz is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band the Rugburns and is known for co-writing “You Were Meant for Me” with Jewel, which became a major hit for her in 1996. He signed with Mercury Records in the late 1990s and has since built a loyal following as an independent troubadour. Steve has released fourteen studio albums, the latest of which is called JoyRide. 

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Rising hip hop influencer Cameron McCloud lets us in on his journey and his process

PART ONE:

Paul and Scott chat about a song that's getting a lot of hate online and consider how the internet has redefined how we hear music. 

PART TWO: 

Our in-depth conversation with Cameron McCloud

ABOUT CAMERON McCLOUD

Cure for Paranoia is the Dallas-based alternative hip hop collective fronted by Cameron McCloud. Crowned "Rap Group of the Year" by the Dallas Entertainment Awards in 2025 and "Artist of the Year" in 2026, the group’s name came about following McCloud’s diagnosis with bipolar depression and paranoid schizophrenia. Their breakthrough came when Erykah Badu’s tapped them to perform at her birthday bash, and they have since shared bills with such artists as George Clinton, Nas, Ludacris, and Leon Bridges. The group was named NPR Tiny Desk Contest finalists three times in 2023, 2024, and 2025 before winning the contest in 2026. In addition to the success of their most recent EP, Work of Art, they’ve gained attention online thanks to Cameron’s 2025 challenge to release an original verse every day on his social media channels. Tackling everything from mental health to social injustice, his rhymes earned a substantial following. Inspired by groups such as Outkast, The Roots, and a Tribe Called Quest, Cameron McCloud and Cure for Paranoia are rapidly gaining a major national audience. 

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Singer/songwriter, virtuoso guitarist, and multiple Grammy winner Molly Tuttle chats about her wide-ranging musical personality that encompasses bluegrass, folk, Americana, and rock.

PART ONE:

Paul and Scott wade into the controversy to share their opinions about the New York Times' recent list of the 30 Best Living American Songwriters. Listen at your own risk!

PART TWO:

Our in-depth conversation with Molly Tuttle

ABOUT MOLLY TUTTLE:

In 2017, California-born Molly Tuttle became the first female winner of the International Bluegrass Music Awards’ Guitar Player of the Year, an honor she won again in 2018, the same year she was named Instrumentalist of the Year by the Americana Music Awards. Though an accomplished musician, Tuttle won the IBMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year award in 2023. Her 2022 album Crooked Tree earned her a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and a nomination for Best New Artist across all categories. It was also named Album of the Year by both the IBMA, which again awarded her as Female Vocalist of the Year, and the IFMA. Molly’s follow up album, City of Gold, won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, while her most recent release, So Long Little Miss Sunshine, was nominated for the Best Americana Album Grammy. Spanning various genres, Molly Tuttle’s wide-ranging roots music explorations always bear the stamp of her unique imprint. Today she chats with us about her creative process, the evolution of her songwriting, and much more. 

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Grammy nominated songwriter Pynk Beard (aka Sebastian Kole) chats about his extensive work as a behind-the-scenes pop creator and gives us insight into his latest country-flavored album project. 

PART ONE

Scott and Paul chat about their recent travels and how they find ways to make music tourism a part of any trip.

PART TWO

Our in-depth conversation with Pynk Beard

ABOUT PYNK BEARD:

Pynk Beard is the artistic persona of Alabama-born Coleridge Tillman, who has already made a splash as a successful songwriter under the name Sebastian Kole. Growing up as a preacher’s son in Birmingham Alabama, Pynk Beard’s big break came when he contributed to “Goin’ In,” which was recorded by Jennifer Lopez, featuring Flo Rida. He then signed with Motown Records as an artist and began collaborating as a writer and producer with Alessia Cara. He worked on most every track on her debut album Know-It-All, including the top 10 and multi-platinum pop hits “Here” and “Scars to Your Beautiful.” Soon after, he released his debut album as Sebastian Kole, a gospel and R&B influenced project called Soup. He continued working as a behind-the-scenes writer on songs such as “Bridges” by Fifth Harmony, “Freedom Rings” by Brandy, “Actions” by John Legend, “Time Machine” by Alicia Keys, and “Angel” by Halle Bailey, which found him collaborating with producer Neff-U and earning a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song. His debut EP as Pynk Beard is Red Dirt Diaries, which was released in October of 2025 on Red Bull Records. A country project that embraces elements of gospel, R&B and hip hop, it’s a bold new artistic direction that has quickly gained attention from fans of multiple genres. 

 

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