People Have The Power

Critically acclaimed and beloved singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams takes host Steve Baltin on an incredible journey through her songs of social change from Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Leadbelly, Buffalo Springfield and more. And she discusses how these artists have influenced her superb new album, 'Good Souls Better Angels," her dream collaborations and much more.

"It's very liberating especially to write one, but also to sing a song you know is gonna piss some people off," she says laughing. "I sort of get a secret thrill out of pushing people's buttons like that. Like the Trump-supporter type people."

And she talks about the importance of protest songs. "I'm wiser now, older and wiser. But I still have that same kind of excitement, I still get that same feeling when I go out, I'm singing these songs and everybody is standing up at the end of the night. That feeling of unity. That's what these songs represent to me. Cause I spent a lot of time at protests when I was younger playing my guitar and singing some of these songs. That feeling that comes over you when you feel like we're all of like minds and everybody is singing together. There is nothing like that. It's a great feeling."

American Songwriter Podcast Network

"It's really pretty frustrating to see this shit keep happening and see racism fucking out there. It's a part of who this country is," an impassioned Ivan Neville says on this week's People Have The Power. In an incredibly powerful episode, Neville talks about how racism directly influenced the new Dumpstaphunk album, 'Where Do We Go From Here.'

In the midst of the pandemic of the last year, Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee found her musical bliss again while making the band's new album. 'The Bitter Truth.' "I feel a new sense of belonging where I am.," Lee tells Steve Baltin on this week's People Have The Power.

Shakey Graves' influential debut, 'Roll The Bones,' turns 10 this year. And to celebrate he has reissued the album, releasing it to streaming services for the first time. It's perfect timing for the Austin-based Graves to revisit the past because as he tells host Steve Baltin on this week's People Have The Power, Graves hasn't been prolific during COVID. He has used the time to take a break.

He talks about the break, selects protest songs from Pink Floyd, Sam Cooke and more, his admiration for David Bowie and why it took him a minute to become a Bruce Springsteen fan on this week's show.

"Of course I have a fond affection for that song obviously for personal reason," Bruce Hornsby says of Tupac's 'Changes,' one of his six protest songs of choice on this week's People Have The Power. "That song is my song, 'The Way It Is,' with new words. I love the lyrics, such a positive message, such a soulful message. And now again it's achieved this pantheon status where I've been sent several videos from around the world, one of the most beautiful ones came from New Zealand, where there are these protests and Tupac's ;Changes' is playing and hundreds of people are singing along, they know every word. "