Journey of a Song

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes, a song starts with a single image or a single line that grows into something much bigger and clearer. In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Dallas-based singer-songwriter Jacy Penland to talk about her new single, "Sip Your Coffee Slow." Jacy talks about the discipline of being a songwriter, about how quickly the concept of sipping one's coffee slowly turned into a full song, and about how collaboration and trust with other artists have fueled her songwriting jo...

Send us Fan Mail "Don’t be slow to bring your wounds to the salt and to the sun." How do we strike a balance between being open-hearted and preserving our sense of self? Between being hardworking and being present? Between being intentional and being receptive? In "Wandering One," Fort Worth-based folk artist Mollie Danel seeks to tackle these questions and more, offering the wisdom she's acquired about how to hold onto herself in a world that constantly seeks more permeable skin. In th...

Send us Fan Mail "In the insane asylum, this is my new home." How do we cope with loneliness? How do we build community? In a world where we feel like we don't fit in, how do we go about finding our people, our tribe? And what do we do while we're searching? In "Asylum," the debut single from young singer-songwriter Aubrey Riddle, Aubrey tackles these questions in a thoughtful, resonant, piano-accompanied reflection on the impact of isolation. In this episode, Emmeline s...

Send us Fan Mail "Always said that I'd get out; well, I'm a lot older now." In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Dallas-based singer-songwriter Stephen Like. He shares his beautiful ode to nostalgia, “Pass Through Town,” and indulges Emmeline in a discussion of how the “good old days” looked for him and how the idea of retrospection inspired many of the songs on his upcoming EP. He also shares a bit about his upbringing and his unconventional path to recording music. If you’re looki...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Dallas-based singer-songwriter Jeffrey Michael Widman (again!) to get honest and vulnerable about mental health, simplicity in songwriting, and the value of honesty in meaningful art. They also geek out about their mutual love for Matt Nathanson as a songwriter, and Emmeline continues her mission to make sure that everyone in the world knows about the phenomenal Ani DiFranco. Lastly, Jeffrey talks about the importance of music in tande...

Send us Fan Mail "Welcome to level one, might seem impossible..." Is love an impossible endeavor in a largely digital age? How can we "level up" in a world that seems to suggest that finding a romantic connection is all about playing games? Can a songwriter keep a theme consistent through an entire 3-minute song? Dallas-based singer-songwriter Ren tackles these questions and more in the latest episode of Journey of a Song, featuring her song, "GameBoy"! She sits down with Emmeline ...

Send us Fan Mail "Tired of running for the heights and always wasting what is mine." How long should we "put in our dues"? How much sacrifice is good sacrifice, and when does self-sacrifice become toxic? In this episode, through the lens of singer-songwriter Carly Carroll's beautiful debut single, "Until It Goes Away," Emmeline and Carly tackle these questions and more. Carly (an alumna of Journey of an Artist) talks about taking risks in her career and how her new song served as internal...

Send us Fan Mail "This year, I'll pay attention to the weather, and feel the wind as it moves through a feather." Getting older is a real, relatable feeling--but how do we make peace with it? How do we learn to let ourselves off the hook, to worry less and care more, to be less restrictive and more exploratory? As we grow up, how do we keep that feeling of awe and discovery that we had as kids? In "Through A Feather," Hylan tackles these questions and more from the warm embrace of the ocea...

Send us Fan Mail "Me pregunto dónde fue que yo fui mal?" Which serves a song better: spontaneity or meticulous planning? Straightforward or poetic lyrics? Layers of instrumentation or a sure and steady guitar? In this episode, Emmeline sits down with independent Latin pop artist Alex O'aiza to tackle these questions and more through the lens of his newest single, "YNMA." Alex shares his collaborative process--and brings his guitarist and dear friend Alex Whitcomb along for the ride! They al...

Send us Fan Mail "If I got money every time you're on my mind, I swear I'd have more money than a single dime." Do lyrics need to rhyme? Can a song be both funny and profound? Is there a right way to build a composition? In this episode, Emmeline sits down with urban boy band, The Kid Brothers (TKB), to tackle these questions and more through the lens of their brand new single, "Divine." Comprised of Eddie, Shawn, and Sasha, TKB has been releasing fun, dance-able jams since 2021--but the re...

Send us Fan Mail "I love how it feels to be wild." Can you really package a deep, meaningful message about the perils of conforming to social convention in a slick, spooky Halloween jam? Genre-bending, independent, Denton-based musical artist Brian Lambert says yes. Back for his second appearance on Journey of a Song, Brian chats with Emmeline about how an exploration of major chords turned into a well-crafted werewolf song with a message about creative empowerment. He also shares some of ...

Send us Fan Mail "If all I have is you, I'd be the richest girl in the room..." Sometimes, a song starts as a single idea with a slew of metaphors, laid neatly into a note on an iPhone. You don't need more ideas, or better words; you just need a friend to help you pare it down. For Americana artist Sarah Johnson, that's how her latest single--a love song, just in time for Valentine's Day--began. In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Sarah to chat about her brand new song, "Lovinai...