Petal Motel Podcast

Wes Tirey's deeply personal 2019 release No Winners in the Blues was just re-issued on vinyl via Full Spectrum Records. We catch up with Wes to gain some insight into its dark, lonesome sound, discuss his collaboration with electric guitarist Shane Parish and producer Andrew Weathers, and his songwriting process then versus now. Grab the album here: https://fullspectrumrecords.band

In this interview, I ask Greg Loiacono all about the Mother Hips' new album, Glowing Lantern, made in the midst of the pandemic and embracing the collaborative spirit of the Hips' youth. I also ask Greg for lots of musical advice, and later we're joined by Tim Bluhm. The two share memories from their 30+ year career as professional musicians, including how they met and learned from

If you're not new to Petal Motel dot com, you're aware of our revere for Neal Casal, as a musician, a songwriter, a guitarist, a music lover, and a person. Last year we did a complete retrospective on his solo albums, and well, there's a dedication to him imprinted on the bottom of the site, he's my #1 musical hero, the reason I have good taste (from scourging myself on every inter

Spencer Cullum cut his teeth in Detroit playing with a rock and roll band before moving to Nashville and becoming an in-demand session player, playing with Miranda Lambert, Kesha, and Deer Tick. Eventually he began writing his own songs and invited Nashville luminaries like Caitlin Rose, Andrew Combs, Erin Rae, and Skyway Man to play on his record. Coin Collection is a timeless sou

Lou Turner is a native Texan and current Nashville resident. She plays with the band Styrofoam Winos and she released a solo album entitled Songs for John Venn last year on Spinster Sounds. She also published a book, Shape Note Singing, on Vegetarian Alcoholic Press. Songs for John Venn is truly a glowing masterwork, reflecting on themes of transformation and finding the good parts

Johanna Samuels isn't a person who loafs around when touring slows down. She had a busy ass year while staying at home, organizing, community building, and writing copious amounts of songs. As we began to see the light, she released her gorgeous album Excelsior!, a deeply personal album dealing with topics ranging from love, sexual assault, the state of the world, death and loss. T

I remember the *day* the first Rose City Band record quietly dropped, and when I say quietly, I mean, well, quiet in that distinct way the project's mastermind and (usually) sole member Ripley Johnson makes richly textured, vibrant psychedelic music without relying on noise or feedback alone. It took no time at all for the music internet to put together that the overlap in signatur

Joe Bourdet has been a staple on the LA scene since the days of Josh Schwartz's Painted Hills and bluesy-rock outfit Whispering Pines, and more recently he's played GospelbeacH's Let It Burn and the upcoming Ben Reddell Band EP. At long last, he's releasing his solo debut, Meadow Rock, inspired by the rolling hills of California, the sounds of the canyon (this one a bit more Topang

Prolific songwriter, musician and poet Wes Tirey released his latest album, The Midwest Book of the Dead, on Dear Life at the end of April. Our wonderful contributor Lou Turner conducted a thoughtful written interview with Wes you can read here, but I was lucky to talk to him a bit more. Wes is an incredible lyricist and naturally his poems aren't shabby either. I wanted to ask him

Rachel Dean and Tim Paul Gray, both accomplished performers, songwriters, and recording artists in their own rite, released their debut record together as Starlight Cleaning Co. just last week on Sofaburn Records. Produced by Bart Davenport and engineered by Joel Jerome, the duo recorded the album at their home studio, the very same Vetiver recorded last year's gorgeous Up On High