If you don't know Gretchen Peters, I will bet you definitely know some of her songs. From Independence Day (Martina McBride), Cloud #9 (Bryan Adams), On A Bus To St. Cloud (Trisha Yearwood), Rock Steady (Bonnie Raitt)... the list goes on and on.

So when I interviewed her for the first time (I was lucky enough to do it twice) I was READY. This is probably the interview I am the most proud of, we talked about sexism within the music industry, being an independent artist and finding your own path as a writer. We dig into the origins of one of her songs, "The Boy From Rye" and how it's the heart of her most recent album, Dancing With The Beast.

Note: This interview was originally recorded and published in November 2019.

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For two decades, Gretchen Peters (she/her) has been one of Nashville's most beloved and respected artists. "If Peters never delivers another tune as achingly beautiful as 'On A Bus To St. Cloud,'" People Magazine wrote, "she has already earned herself a spot among country's upper echelon of contemporary composers.” Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2014 by singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell, who called her "both a songwriter and a poet (who) sings as beautifully as she writes,” and said her song “The Matador”, "moved me so greatly, I cried from the soles of my feet”, Peters has accumulated accolades as a songwriter for artists as diverse as Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, The Neville Brothers, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Bryan Adams and Faith Hill.

Her 2015 album, ‘Blackbirds’, debuted at #1 on the UK Country chart and in the top 40 UK pop chart, and was awarded International Album of the Year and Song of the Year. In 2015, The Telegraph named her one of the greatest 60 female singer-songwriters of all time. Her latest album, Dancing With The Beast, was released on May 18, 2018. https://gretchenpeters.com

As we continue the final season of the podcast, Stevie revisits a discussion with artist Esabalu aka Jenn Mundia (she/her) from Season 2.

This episode really resonated with Stevie as they both shared a story about their dads about their respective name changes. This episode was recorded during the pandemic and originally aired in March 2021. Esabalu talks about her journey to finding her new moniker as EsaBalu, embracing her Kenyan roots and taking time as a musician to process the events of the Black Lives Matter movement through storytelling and songwriting with her single “Say Their Names”.

They discuss the recording of Esabalu's song and music video Wildfire.

You should check out the video for Wildfire here and come back to listen to the episode: https://youtu.be/9dnjUCdM21E

You can also watch the full unedited interview in the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tsnainnercircle

We also talk about her journey to finding her new moniker as EsaBalu, embracing her Kenyan roots and taking time as a musician to process the events of the Black Lives Matter movement through storytelling and songwriting with her single “Say Their Names”.

Jenn Mundia is an LA based artist with Kenyan roots and a southern upbringing, currently performing under the pseudonym, "Esabalu". As a graduate of Berklee College of Music, Jenn found herself working on the production and engineering side of the business right out of school but found her way back to stages throughout New York (Saturday Night Live w/ Kacey Musgraves, Jimmy Fallon w/ Bastille and Wallows, and Seth Meyers) and is now taking on the West coast. Jenn is currently breaking major ground in the ad and voice over world in the time of Covid and recently released her debut EP, “Moon”—find it wherever you listen to music.

Check out http://esabalu.com for more updates!

Insta: http://instagram.com/esabalumusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KvgJF4TQQ3T4ZRBbdLoDg

In the premier episode of the final season of award nominated podcast This Next Song's About, Stevie throws it back to one of their favourite episodes as we take a trip down memory lane with Akie Bermiss, best known for his work as the keys player for the band Lake Street Dive.

This episode was originally episode #3 of the podcasts 4 years history originally published October 4th 2018 and marks the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Stevie and Akie and remains a fan favourite episode to this date.

Akie (he/him) discusses his song "Space and Time", his sometime-to-be-released science fiction soul opera double album, his children's book, and what it's like being an artist in New York City.

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Akie's Bio:

Akie Bermiss with his affable disposition, glasses, and healthy do of cascading dreads that drape down to his shoulders, is unabashedly a self-professed nerd to the nth degree. Since early childhood Akie has been an obsessed science fiction aficionado. Yet he does have an artist-friendly façade and has managed to cultivate and live a double-life as a thriving music protégé, pianist, singer/songwriter, composer, arranger and emerging solo artist and member of Lake Street Dive.

Akie is a Brooklyn native raised in a musical household full of jazz and politics fueled by his former- activist mom and dad. He began singing in church, moved it to school for a while, enroute becoming somewhat of a musical chameleon.

www.akiebermissmusic.com