STUFF I DIG 01

Chuck Prophet! Songcraft & Shelby Lynne!

Sep 09, 2024

The primary motivation behind this newsletter is to share the stuff I make and the things I do. I love having a place where total DrogeHeads, fair-weather fans and lookyloos can dig into my creative world. And so, this space has pretty much been all about me.

“I’m tired of talking about me. What do you think of me?”

I have spilled plenty of ink singing the praises of the amazingly talented folks I have the honor to collaborate with. But that has primarily been in the context of their work with me.

To mix things up a bit, I’ve decided to shine the spotlight on others from time to time. Welcome to the first installment of STUFF I DIG.

CHUCK PROPHET

Many of you will already be familiar with this singer-songwriter, guitar-slinger and record-maker. He’s been around the block and logged many miles in the old Econoline van. You can read about his adventures right here on Substack.

They say that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. “They’re like Pink Floyd mixed with ABBA, mixed with bologna.” Whenever I read a great music review, I realize I just don’t have the gift of that kind of gab. So, I won’t try to paint a picture of Chuck’s awesomeness for you. You can hear for yourself. “Sugar Into Water” is from his forthcoming long player, Wake the Dead. It’s my fave of the three singles released so far.

I met Chuck in 2002. We were invited to play on an album by the fabulous Kim Richey. The sessions were produced by Bill Bottrell, a producer I greatly admire. The resulting album, Rise, is a masterwork. And I’m not just saying that because my co-write with Kim, “Electric Green,” appears on it. (That’s a story for another time.)

I heard about Chuck and Bill around the same time and from the same friend, yet another gifted songwriter, musician and record maker. Jeff Trott was lending his lead guitar talents to my touring outfit, and among the music he listened to riding in the old Econoline during the tour for Necktie Second in 1994 was Chuck’s early solo records and an album from Jeff’s previous band, Wire Train that Bill produced.

Chuck’s catalog is immense. I’m especially fond of Age of Miracles, but you really can’t go wrong. I encourage you to dive deep. Elaine and I went way back into his body of work the other night and tunneled into his band from the olden times, Green on Red. My alt-country group from the early nineties, Ramadillo, used to get compared to them a lot. I love this tender ditty, “The Little Things.” This version was recorded live for the BBC. I recommend you seek out the album version, too. It’s lovely.

SONGCRAFT PODCAST + SHELBY LYNNE

I love songwriting. I love writing about songwriting. I love reading about songwriting. I love talking about songwriting. I love listening to songwriters talk about songwriting. That’s where podcasts come in. I’ll start with one of my faves.

SONGCRAFT: Spotlight on Songwriters

Songcraft is hosted by a pair of Nashville songwriters who have settled in Los Angeles. Scott B. Bomar and Paul Duncan are passionate about the craft of songwriting, and that passion is on full display on Songcraft. They take their jobs seriously. They go above and beyond when researching their guests.

And boy, do they get the guests. Since launching in 2015, they have interviewed over 200 songwriters. We’re talking about the greats here. Elvis Costello, Smokey Robinson, Loretta Lynn, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams. The list goes on and on.

Before they start the interview with their guest, they open each show with a casual chat on a subject related to the world of music. These segments are as enjoyable as the interviews themselves. In their latest episode, I enjoyed hearing them disagree about perfect and imperfect rhymes. (I’m solidly in the imperfect rhymes camp.)

I devoured their recent interview with Shelby Lynne. It’s cool to see that she has a Substack. I just subscribed and am looking forward to checking it out.

I don’t recall how I got turned on to Shelby’s music, but it was around the time when many other folks did, too. She had recently released her breakthrough smash, I Am Shelby Lynne, which earned her the Grammy for Best New Artist despite it being her sixth studio album. It’s a stunning collection produced by the aforementioned Bill Bottrell. (It’s a small world, after all.)

I love I Am Shelby Lynne. I’ve listened to it a ton. But sadly, I’ve been a fair-weather fan and haven’t kept up with her career. I feel bad about that. Now I’m gonna set things right. I’m eager to delve into the rest of her catalog. I’m especially excited to dig into her latest, Consequences of the Crown. The clips they played on Songcraft sounded fantastic.

Peace & Love Songs,

Pete

PS: I’m playing The Triple Door in Seattle on November 7, 2024. Tickets and info HERE.

PPS: I posted this BTS photo to Facebook and Instagram the other day after a fun shoot with the great John Jeffcoat. John is the man behind the cover shots for the “Fading Fast” and “Lonely Mama” singles.