Song Divers

If the Americana Music association made a Pixar movie, the lead character could very well be based on our guest. Leon Majcen has the personality of a leading man that we're all rooting for. Tall, smirking, and handsome, Leon is an eye-twinkling, excited ball of musical energy. He is the type of songwriter that isn't trying to impress you or convince you he's good at what he does. He lets his songs do the that for him, and leaves his actual talking for connecting with you as a person. He has a devil may care way about him, which is both enviable and disarming. In groups, Leon is a life of the party kind of guy, but one-on-one, he's more reserved. You can still sense his anticipation for his next show or fishing trip vibrating under the surface, but he's more more at peace. Here is the guy that calls you out of the blue just to let you know he was thinking about you. Just checking in. It's that thoughtful inner lining that comes out in his songwriting. Pair that with his picking chops, and you've got a recipe for star to continue rising on the Americana and Country charts. His first album, Back Til I'm Gone, is a study of homesickness and growing up that got the attention of the industry and landed him in festival line-ups... and The releases he has coming next, including the single you're hearing right now, are a fantastic evolution of his artistry. We can't wait to hear them, and we think you'll feel the same way, after you get to know our dear friend, Leon Majcen.

If you sat next to Adam Randall at a coffee shop, you might observe a quiet but not standoffish guy, with the look of a friendly, unpretentious, nirvana fan with post graduate degrees. If you struck up a conversation, he probably wouldn’t self promote, or tell you he’s an artist, a prolific one, with 8 studio albums and EP’s. You might however, suspect it, and quickly recognize something special about him; Someone who stays with you long after the interaction, like a great indie-film. Someone who’s choices and experiences have distilled a calming presence, and settled him into whatever the opposite of a midlife crisis is.

The progeny of these characteristics is a songwriting ability that is so, well, Adam-- unique and so good. He's never stopped refining his perspective and style, and if you’ve been hip to Adam Randall for the decades he’s been at it, you know just how good that style's always been. And he's only getting better. The years haven't worn him out; they've polish him. He's only more resolute. More Refined... And his latest release, Antelope, is a perfect example of the indie-rock monk I’m describing. It's a beautiful, melodic, set of songs, unconventionally poetic and illustrative, but with enough room for the listener to inhabit the songs, and find their own personal meaning.

We’re loving this latest addition to his body of work, and we know you will too––Especially after you get to know him with us.

Let's dive in, with Adam Randall.

Stef, Ed, and previous Song Divers guests perform covers by the late John Prine on the 1-year anniversary of his passing from Covid-19 during the height of the 2020 pandemic. We welcome back songwriters Andrew Duhon, Rebekah Pulley, Kirk Adams, Liam Bauman, Dean Johanesen, and Joshua Reilly doing some of their favorite Prine tunes. Stef and Ed also perform in this episode. They put together a cut of "Picture Show" with their band Mercy McCoy, feat. Emma Robinson, and Ed gives us a solo performance of "Far From Me."

We miss you, John.
Thank you for all the love and music you brought into the world.
These are for you.

Steve Connelly was a spark that lit the fuse for a whole generation of musicians that would go on to be produced by Steve at Zen Recording studios, and all fantasize about being able to play even a single line of a Steve Connelly guitar lead. Zen became a safe haven for songwriters of any caliber looking to lay down a record. From his psychedelic high school years and time on tour with Roger McGuinn, to the countless hours he’s spent bringing to life the musical works of so many others, Steve inspires. He instructs. He provides a platform for the songwriter to fully realize their compositions.

Whether you know him as well as so many artists do, or you are just hearing about Steve for the first time, we are so grateful to be able to bring you our conversation with him.

If you are listening to this episode years after it was recorded, the COVID-19 Corona Virus global pandemic is hopefully a thing of the past. Unfortunately, at the time of recording March 21, 2020, we are currently in the beginning of what will likely be a couple months of mandatory self isolation across the United States, and varying degrees of the same already in effect around the world. Businesses are closing, schools are shutting down, hospitals are filling up, and our government isn't helping. It's an unprecedented time that, despite years of warnings from the CDC and visionaries like Bill Gates, we aren't prepared for.

No matter who you are, the fabric of your daily life is being impacted, and now more than ever, people are finding community through the things that bind us. Things like philanthropy, art, and, of course, music. As borders close and states declare mandatory isolation, postponing tours and closing concert halls, social media has lit-up with musical and lyrical love, like lighters in a swaying audience, as musicians of all levels share live performances with songs of hope, songs of support, and songs to keep a firm hold of the beautiful role that music songwriting continues to play in soothing, saving, and uniting us.

As the world faces this unique challenge, Ed and I want to do our part to support the musical community that we are so grateful to be a part of, and so desperate to help during this time of economic hardship. So our next episodes are dedicated to all of the artists out there across the US, around the world, that are taking their performances online while the venues go off line, musicians that are playing on social media so that we can be physically distant but not emotionally separated, and for the live-streams being created to help sustain the musicians in every community.

First, we have to focus on our hometown. The Tampa and Saint Petersburg, FL areas are already being hit hard, but our artists don't stay down. You don't need to look hard on Instagram or Facebook to find your favorite musicians banding together to bring audiences inspired, heartfelt performances as a way to help these musicians keep the lights on and help all of us keep the darkness at bay.

The Dream Stream is one such performance. Slated for March 27th, 2020 and powered by Song Divers friends the Tampa Sessions, this live stream will feature a line up of 12 Tampa/St.Pete performers, including Song Divers alum J.T. Brown and Kristopher James, along with upcoming guests Shawn Kyle and Mountain Holler as well as many more we hope to have in the studio in the future.

In anticipation of that event, and the many more it will inspire, we got ahold of Nick Ewing, Kristopher James, and J.T. Brown to get more details on The Dream Stream and see how a few of the SouthEast's finest songwriters are weathering the storm.