Indie troubadour and Rolling Stone darling Brian Dunne gets real about his work as a songwriter who take the craft seriously.

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about the Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, musical gibberish, Michael Jackson's lyrical theft, Scott's Cameroonian music phase, and perhaps the most irritating song mashup of all time.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Brian Dunne

ABOUT BRYAN DUNNE
Brian Dunne is a New York–based singer-songwriter whose sharp storytelling, dark humor, and blue-collar perspective have earned him a devoted following in the Americana and indie-rock worlds. A longtime fixture on the East Coast club circuit, Dunne built his career the old-fashioned way—by writing songs, touring relentlessly, and cultivating a fiercely independent DIY approach. Over the course of multiple solo albums, including Selling Things in 2020, Loser on the Ropes in 2023, and Clams Casino in 2025, he has developed a reputation for pairing deeply human observations with memorable, hook-filled songs that draw from the traditions of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Billy Joel while maintaining a distinctly modern voice.

Dunne's profile expanded internationally when his 2021 single “New Tattoo” became an unexpected hit in the Netherlands, and in 2022 he co-founded the acclaimed folk-rock collective Fantastic Cat alongside fellow songwriters Anthony D'Amato, Don DiLego, and Mike Montali. Dunne continues to balance his solo career with Fantastic Cat, earning praise for songs that explore failure, resilience, class, ambition, and the everyday struggles of modern life with equal parts wit, empathy, and heart. His work has attracted praise from Rolling Stone, where writer Joseph Hudak championed his 2025 album Clams Casino and later singled it out as his favorite album of the year. It has been described as if novelist Sam Lipsyte wrote the lyrics for Billy Joel’s Glass Houses, or if the Jason Isbell of Southeastern cut his teeth in scuzzy NYC rock clubs.

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Known for co-writing Jewel's "You Were Meant For Me," Steve Poltz has spent more than three decades as a singer-songwriter-performer of the first order, earning international applause and fans worldwide with his inspired brand of rock-influenced countrified folk Americana. This incredibly witty and insightful conversation is a true inspiration.

PART ONE
Paul and Scott chat about supergroups. What qualifies as a supergroup? What so-called "supergroups" don't live up to the hype? We're not afraid to do a hard-hitting investigation!

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Steve Poltz

ABOUT STEVE POLTZ
Steve Poltz is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band the Rugburns and is known for co-writing “You Were Meant for Me” with Jewel, which became a major hit for her in 1996. He signed with Mercury Records in the late 1990s and has since built a loyal following as an independent troubadour. Steve has released fourteen studio albums, the latest of which is called JoyRide.

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Rising hip hop influencer Cameron McCloud lets us in on his journey and his process

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about a song that's getting a lot of hate online and consider how the internet has redefined how we hear music.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Cameron McCloud

ABOUT CAMERON McCLOUD
Cure for Paranoia is the Dallas-based alternative hip hop collective fronted by Cameron McCloud. Crowned "Rap Group of the Year" by the Dallas Entertainment Awards in 2025 and "Artist of the Year" in 2026, the group’s name came about following McCloud’s diagnosis with bipolar depression and paranoid schizophrenia. Their breakthrough came when Erykah Badu’s tapped them to perform at her birthday bash, and they have since shared bills with such artists as George Clinton, Nas, Ludacris, and Leon Bridges. The group was named NPR Tiny Desk Contest finalists three times in 2023, 2024, and 2025 before winning the contest in 2026. In addition to the success of their most recent EP, Work of Art, they’ve gained attention online thanks to Cameron’s 2025 challenge to release an original verse every day on his social media channels. Tackling everything from mental health to social injustice, his rhymes earned a substantial following. Inspired by groups such as Outkast, The Roots, and a Tribe Called Quest, Cameron McCloud and Cure for Paranoia are rapidly gaining a major national audience.

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