When Patty Griffin released Crown of Roses earlier this year, she delivered something both timeless and urgent. It’s an album that draws on gospel, folk, and soul to explore themes of faith, doubt, and resilience. It's a return to the stripped-down intimacy of her earliest work, but with the wisdom and craft of an artist who's spent nearly three decades refining her voice.

That voice first emerged in 1996 with Living with Ghosts, recorded on a simple four-track in her Boston apartment. The album introduced a songwriter who could turn personal pain into something universal. Over the years that followed, Griffin’s songs have been covered by everyone from The Chicks to Solomon Burke, while her own recordings have earned her multiple Grammy nominations and a reputation as a songwriter's songwriter.

On today's episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Patty Griffin about the inspiration behind Crown of Roses and how grit has shaped her songwriting throughout her career. They also discuss her early days in Boston's folk scene and the stories behind some of her most enduring songs. And she reflects on how finally getting to know her mother at the end of her life inspired her to see her mother's story in a whole new light.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Patty Griffin HERE.

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Joe Henry and Mike Reid brought two distinct but complementary legacies to Life & Times, their new collaborative album. Joe is a celebrated producer and songwriter known for his atmospheric, deeply literary approach to Americana. Over the decades, he's produced albums for artists like Solomon Burke, Bonnie Raitt, and Elvis Costello, while crafting his own work that blurs the line between folk, jazz, and rock. Mike Reid, a former NFL defensive lineman turned Grammy-winning country songwriter, has written hits like "I Can't Make You Love Me" and has long explored the tender spaces between strength and vulnerability.

Their album, Life & Times, captures conversations between two seasoned storytellers, their voices and perspectives interweaving across songs that examine memory, mortality, and the passage of time with unflinching honesty.

On today's episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Joe Henry and Mike Reid about how they developed a deep friendship over their shared love of poetry at a songwriter's retreat. They also discuss the artists and songs that first drew them to songwriting. And they reflect on their individual creative processes and how they've found new ways to inspire each other's work.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Joe Henry & Mike Reid HERE.

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Since getting his start in the late ‘60s, Labi Siffre has had an unflinching commitment to writing exactly what he feels. The result was a debut album that announced a singular talent: a British singer-songwriter who could move seamlessly from jazz-inflected soul to tender love songs, all while addressing themes of love, identity, and justice that most pop artists wouldn't touch.

Over the next decade, Siffre built a catalog that defied category. Still, his 1972 song "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" became an international success, and his song "Something Inside So Strong"—written years later in response to apartheid—also became a big hit, revealing the true scope of his artistry.

And then there's "I Got The..." from his 1975 album Remember My Song that would quietly become one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop history, most famously by Dr. Dre on Eminem's "My Name Is."

On today's episode, Justin Richmond talks to Labi Siffre about growing up in 1950s London and the music he discovered that set him on his particular artistic path. Labi also talks about how he wants music to enliven him and how much it annoys him when people tell him to chill. And he explains why, after decades in the music industry, he's never regretted choosing honesty over commercial compromise.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Labi Siffre HERE.

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