Voice & Verse Podcast

This week, I sit down with Emmy-nominated songwriter Andrew McMahon to chat about his new project, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. In high school, McMahon and friends formed Something Corporate, a piano-pop group that would go on to be at the forefront of the early 2000s pop-punk/emo scenes and release two albums for major label MCA Records: 2002's Leaving Through the Window and 2003's North. After SoCo dissolved, McMahon formed Jack's Mannequin, releasing the instant classic Everything In Transit in 2005 along with two other albums. These days, he's a solo artist, mixing his love for classic songwriters like Billy Joel, Tom Petty and Bruce Hornsby with electronic elements to create a sound that's retro and modern at the same time. His debut solo full-length, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, was released this past October through Vanguard Records. I caught up with Andrew at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC to chat about writing songs for TV, transitioning to this new phase in his career, how he plans to ce

As you might be able to tell from the retro photo above, we're traveling back to 2004 to explore the origins of Straylight Run's self-titled debut album with the help of frontman, guitarist and pianist John Nolan. After leaving Taking Back Sunday in 2003 amidst a sea of controversy, Nolan formed Straylight Run with fellow TBSer Shaun Cooper on bass – eventually rounding out the group with his sister, Michelle, and drummer Will Noon. From the opening strains of Straylight Run, it's clear Nolan's new band would be anything but TBS 2.0. Filled with lush harmonies, piano and moody ballads, the album found the singer exploring uncharted musical waters – a sound that fans hail to this day as a true hallmark in his career. To commemorate the album's 10th anniversary, I caught up with John to chat about its creation, how he grew as a songwriter and just who the songs on Straylight Run are – or aren't – about. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or YouTube so you don’t m

Graham Colton's seen it all in the business: In college, he developed a fervent grassroots fanbase (aided by the advent of file-sharing), and soon was plucked from pubs and coffeehouses by Counting Crows' Adam Duritz, who'd go on to serve as one of his two musical mentors. From there, Colton formed the aptly named Graham Colton Band, released a major-label album filled with radio-ready pop-rock (2004's Drive), and began a high-profile romance with pop star Kelly Clarkson. Along the way, he enjoyed a hit single ("Best Days," from 2007's Here Right Now), which would launch him onto Letterman, Leno, and American Idol – just to name a few. Colton now takes his career into his own hands as an independent artist; his new album, Lonely Ones, is a collection of neo-psych-inspired pop that's among the best music of his career, and he's also the co-founder of Fanswell – an innovative new platform that allows artists and listeners to come together to create intimate concert environments. I caught up with Graham to chat

With hits like "Inside Out," "Promise," and "Here's To the Night" under his belt, Max Collins helped pen iconic alt-rock staples that live on to this day. In addition to fronting Eve 6, the band he formed in high school with a pair of childhood friends that would go on to enjoy gold- and platinum-selling success, Collins is a solo artist these days. His debut solo album, the crowdfunded Honey From the Ice Box, was released earlier this year and finds Collins tapping into artists like The Lemonheads to craft a sound unlike anything in his past. I caught up with Max to talk about Eve 6's most beloved songs, crafting a unique lyrical style, and what fans can expect from his upcoming second solo album. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or YouTube so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening! ----- Links: Max Collins' Twitter | Facebook Eve 6's Twitter | Facebook | Website Honey From the Ice Box on iTunes Voic

Joining me this week is Nick Thompson, frontman of pop-punk bands Hit The Lights and Thief Club. Known for a buoyant sound that incorporates elements of hardcore along with a tried-and-true pop-punk bite, Hit The Lights have been a scene staple since forming back in 2003 in Ohio. The group released two albums for Triple Crown Records – 2006's This Is A Stick Up ... Don't Make It A Murder and 2008's Skip School, Start Fights – before jumping to Razor & Tie for 2012's Invicta. Nick's Thief Club project finds the singer taking a more personal approach to his songwriting, penning songs about childhood nostalgia, familial loss, and more. I caught up with Nick to chat about Hit The Lights' musical evolution, some details on their upcoming fourth album, and just how he ended up at the home of Stone Temple Pilots bassist Rob DeLeo. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or YouTube so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for list

If you're like me, your first introduction to John Feldmann's work came in the classic Tony Hawk's Pro Skater videogame, which featured Goldfinger's ska classic "Superman." That might have been much of the mainstream's introduction to Feldmann's musical skills, but he's followed it up in a huge way ever since. In addition to fronting Goldfinger, Feldmann is an acclaimed producer and songwriter, helping guide albums for the likes of Black Veil Brides, Panic! at the Disco, The Used, and 5 Seconds of Summer. I caught up with John to talk about how "Superman" came to be, working with young artists, his personal connection to the show True Blood, and much more. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or YouTube so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening! ----- Links: John Feldmann's Twitter The Atlantic - "The Power of Two" Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube | Facebook

Throughout his long and accomplished career, Ace Enders has put his musical mark on many projects, including Drive Thru Records emo favorites The Early November and the folky side project I Can Make a Mess. He's also an accomplished producer and songwriter, helming projects for the likes of Aaron West & the Roaring Twenties, a side project/character study of The Wonder Years' Dan Campbell. With so many parts of his musical life working in concert, Ace is the perfect guest for the show. I caught up with him to talk about The Early November's beginnings, how songwriting has changed for him over time and why you won't ever hear the phrase "turnt up" in an Early November song. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or YouTube so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening! ----- Links: Ace Enders' Twitter The Early November's Twitter | Facebook | Website Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube | Faceboo

From the opening cries of "Are you listening?" on "Walls," the first track on 2004's The Weak's End, Emery have been a staple in the post-hardcore scene. The Seattle-by-way-of-South-Carolina quintet have released several acclaimed albums since breaking onto the scene back in 2004, including The Question and We Do What We Want. These days, they're stepping out of the traditional record label life with Bad Christian, an alternative faith-based label, blog and media collective they founded in 2013. Currently, the band are hard at work on a new album, You Were Never Alone, which should be out this fall on the Bad Christian label. I caught up with lead guitarist Matt Carter to trace the band's songwriting history and learn why sometimes a heavy-handed producer can actually work wonders. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or YouTube so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening! ----- Links: Matt Carter's Twitter Em

We're changing things up this week; instead of your regularly scheduled songwriter interview, I sat down with label owner, music blogger and band manager Zack Zarrillo to chat about our favorite songs of 2014 so far -- along with some hot-button issues. We delve into the practice of cowriting, whether bands should be scorned for the practice and why the perception of the practice differs for different musical genres. We close things out with a discussion on bands whose lyrics are penned by someone other than the lead vocalist. If you like what you hear, please spread the word about the podcast and subscribe via one of the links below. Thanks for listening! ——————— Songs mentioned: Bleachers - "I Wanna Get Better" The Hotelier - "Dendron" Manchester Orchestra - "Cope" Modern Baseball - "Your Graduation" Twin Forks - "Plans" Tigers Jaw - "Teen Rocket" The Menzingers - "Nothing Feels Good Anymore" The Gaslight Anthem - "Get Hurt" Links: Zack Zarrillo's Twitter | Blog | Property of Zack | Off the Record | Bad

This week, we're firing up the time machine to head back to 2004 in order to chronicle Underoath's game-changing album They're Only Chasing Safety. The album is still to this day heralded as a landmark release in the metalcore genre thanks to its blend of muscle and melody -- provided by frontman Spencer Chamberlain and drummer/singer Aaron Gillespie, respectively. Songs like "Reinventing Your Exit" became staples on MySpace pages around the world and inspired countless bands to try their hand at imitating the instant-classic sound (just look around the Warped Tour stages for the past few years for proof). I caught up with Gillespie (who's now holding down the kit as part of Paramore's live band) to chat about the album's beginnings, how it changed his life and much more. ——————— Links: Aaron Gillespie’s Website | Twitter | Instagram They're Only Chasing Safety on iTunes | Amazon Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube | Facebook

Through his work in Further Seems Forever and Dashboard Confessional, Chris Carrabba has been one of the most successful and idolized scene-based songwriters of the past 15 years. His work in Dashboard has earned him three gold records, the lead single to the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack and even a stint at Madison Square Garden -- not bad for a gig that was originally a side project. These days, his focus is on Twin Forks, a boot-stompin' folk band he started with friends from Florida. I caught up with Chris at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC to talk about the different stages of his career, how his mother's education colors the words he uses in his songs and much more. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening! --------------------- Links: Chris Carrabba's Twitter Twin Forks' Website | Facebook | Twitter Twin Forks on iTunes | Amazon Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | St

Photo credit: Catherine Powell If you're headed to Warped Tour this summer, odds are you'll hear The Summer Set's name thrown around quite a bit. Since forming in 2007, the Scottsdale band has risen to become one of the more popular acts in the pop-rock genre, even earning some much-desired crossover success by performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Just before the band headed out for Warped, I caught up with frontman Brian Dales to chat about the evolution of The Summer Set's sound, how re-runs of How I Met Your Mother provided a jumping-off point for the group's new album, Legendary, and why he's forever indebted to Bruce Springsteen. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening!   --------------------- Links: Brian Dales' Twitter | Instagram The Summer Set's Website | Facebook | Twitter Leg

As drummer and half of the songwriting team behind The Swellers, Jonathan Diener's punk proficiency has helped the Flint, Michigan quartet grow a cult following and tour with everyone from Paramore to Anti-Flag. Since 2002, the band has released four full-length albums and two EPs; their most recent release, 2013's The Light Under Closed Doors finds the band at a crossroads in life, imbuing the music with a sense of urgency and desperation that made it one of the year's best albums. I caught up with Jonathan to talk about writing songs with his brother, how a would-be side project inspired their new album and why it's best not to suppress your inspirations. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening! --------------------- Links: Jonathan Diener on Twitter The Swellers on Twitter | Facebook | Bandcamp Braided Veins on Twitter | Facebook | Bandcamp Voice & Verse Podcast

In June 2004, New Jersey rock band Midtown released Forget What You Know, their third and what would go on to be their final album. The quartet cut their teeth on Drive-Thru Records in the early 2000s, releasing albums that launched them onto tours with the likes of Blink-182, but it wasn't until years after the group's 2005 breakup that they achieved cult-like status. After disbanding, bassist/frontman Gabe Saporta went on to form Manic Panic-painted electro-pop act Cobra Starship, while guitarist Heath Saraceno enlisted in Senses Fail and drummer Rob Hitt founded I Surrender Records. Fans' wishes for a reunion finally came true this year, when the band announced they would be appearing at the Skate And Surf Festival, marking their first shows in nearly nine years. To commemorate the album's tenth anniversary, I caught up with Gabe via Skype to talk about the situation surrounding its creation, antagonizing Butch Walker, nihilism and more. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iT

Taking Back Sunday is truly a band that needs little introduction. The Long Island quintet changed the emo and contemporary punk games forever back in 2002 with the release of Tell All Your Friends, and they went on to enjoy mainstream success thanks to hits like "MakeDamnSure." Of course, none of this was without turmoil; guitarist/vocalist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper unceremoniously departed the band in 2003, later going on to form Straylight Run before returning to TBS in 2010. I caught up with Cooper and drummer Mark O'Connell in Silver Spring, Maryland to chat about their new album, Happiness Is, and major-label horror stories. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening! --------------------- Links: Taking Back Sunday's Website | Facebook | Twitter Happiness Is on iTunes | Amazon Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher

I've had the pleasure of knowing Will Pugh since 2004, back before his band Cartel struck pop-punk gold with Chroma, their debut full-length. From there, the group went on to star in Band In A Bubble, a high-profile MTV reality show and live web series that thrust them even further into the mainstream fray. These days, Cartel is enjoying independent life; their new album, the self-funded and self-produced Collider, hit digital retailers in March 2013. Aside from his involvement in Cartel, Will is also an aspiring producer. I caught up with Will to chat about the making of some of Cartel's most popular songs and how a very unlikely topic inspired their heaviest song to date. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to Episode 007, featuring the ever-so-talented William Beckett. You might know Mr. Beckett from his time spent fronting Chicago-based band The Academy Is... from 2003 to 2011, but these days, he's a hard-touring solo artist. His debut full-length album, Genuine & Counterfeit, was released last year on Equal Vision Records. I caught up with William on a rainy Saturday evening in Vienna, Virginia to talk about his involvement with Downwrite (a service that connects fans and artists to create one-of-a-kind songs), re-living high school memories via music, and why skipping school actually helped him in the long run. Stick around until the end of the show to find out how you can win a William Beckett prize package, including a signed CD! If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening!

Mike Herrera from MxPx stops by on this week's show to chat about the early days of MxPx, how songs like "Chick Magnet" and "Well Adjusted" came to be, and why being compared to Jimmy Eat World actually turned out to be a bad thing. Stay tuned to the end of the show, because we'll reveal the winner of last week's contest and give away a signed copy of A Rocket to the Moon's Wild & Free album. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening!

On Episode 005, I sat down with Nick Santino, formerly of A Rocket to the Moon and currently of Nick Santino and the Northern Wind. During the conversation, which was recorded back in November while Nick was opening the Up Close & Personal Tour alongside This Century, we talked about his feeling toward co-writing culture and about the genesis of several of his songs, including Rocket's hit single "Like We Used To." Stay tuned to the end of the show, because you'll find out how to enter to win a copy of ARTTM's Wild & Free album signed by Nick. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening!

On Episode 004 of the show, I sat down with the members of Never Shout Never to talk shop. We chatted about Bandhappy (a songwriting lecture Christofer Drew gave on last summer's Warped Tour), the push-and-pull of major label politics, and even heard Chris play the very first song he ever wrote. Chris also gave us some exclusive insight into the band's upcoming plans for 2014, which includes an album of re-done Never Shout Never classics, an NSN release of brand-new songs and a solo album. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so you don’t miss a single episode of the stories behind your favorite songs. Thanks for listening!