Wheels Off with Rhett Miller

Jon Dee Graham is a guitarist and songwriter best known for his critically acclaimed solo records. He joins Rhett to talk about his latest album, what it means to get a major label deal on the cusp of turning 65, and shares stories about his upbringing that led to his decision to become a musician. Jon Dee Graham is a three-time inductee into the Austin Music Hall of Fame as a member of the Skunks, the True Believers, and a solo artist. He has played guitar with acts such as John Doe (X, The Knitters), Exene Cervenka (X), Michelle Shocked, Alejandro Escovedo, Kelly Willis, and The Gourds and has had his songs covered by many artists, including Patty Smythe, Patty Griffin and James McMurtry. His latest record, Only Dead For A Little While, is available now. Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media.

Alejandro Escovedo, one of the most critically acclaimed artists in contemporary music, joins Rhett to talk about his musical evolution, from his early days in punk band The Nuns to Austin-based rock band The True Believers, to the making of his new album, Echo Dancing. He tells Rhett about the creative process behind the song selection on the new record and the decision to revisit and reshape some of his earlier work. The two discuss the moment when Alejandro committed to being a songwriter, and he explains why each phase of life brings an opportunity to discover new ways to tell a story. Echo Dancing is available now. Follow Alejando Escovedo and @alejandro_escovedo Follow Rhett Miller and @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Tim DeLaughter, the creative force behind The Polyphonic Spree, joins Rhett to discuss his journey as an artist and the challenges he faced that led to the creation of their latest record “Salvage Enterprise”. Tim tells the story behind the album’s title, discusses the importance of visuals in performance, and shares the epiphany moment he had when his teacher played an Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album in music class. Tim DeLaughter is an Emmy-nominated singer, songwriter, performer, and producer of The Polyphonic Spree. Their latest release is 2023’s Salvage Enterprise. The Polyphonic Spree Follow @polyspree Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Singer-songwriter, musician, and indie rock icon Juliana Hatfield joins Rhett to discuss her creative process, the music she’s working on, and the balance between work and artistry. The two talk about trusting your instincts, allowing songs to develop naturally, and Juliana reflects on what her dream day job would be if she decided to do something other than music. Juliana Hatfield’s inimitable 35-year career has seen her an underground darling, a cultural emblem and a time-tested veteran whose tender singing and exemplary guitar playing is an iconic and enduring pinnacle of indie and alternative rock. In 1986, she co-founded beloved Boston indie-rock trio the Blake Babies with Freda Love and John Strohm. Since then, she has released 16 solo albums of stirring originals and imaginative covers, delving further into her love of melodic pop and rock frameworks, and fine-tuning her unmatched vision. Juliana Hatfield sings ELO was released in 2023, and the vinyl re-release of her album Bed is available for pre-order now. Juliana Hatfield website Follow @julianahatfield Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Rhett welcomes Adam Weiner, the driving force behind Low Cut Connie, for a conversation about the creative projects he’s been working on, the early days of his career, and what prompted him to start his own record label. Adam tells Rhett about the lessons he learned from having a theater background, emphasizes the need for artists to create their own opportunities, and explains why honing one’s craft is essential for success. Low Cut Connie has become the alter ego for frontman, pianist, and songwriter Adam Weiner, the band's only constant member since its formation. Beginning as an impromptu recording session in 2010, Low Cut Connie gradually evolved into a vehicle for Weiner's songwriting and his distinctive onstage persona. The band has earned praise for its high-energy live performances, which Los Angeles Weekly described as "unmatched in all of rock right now." NPR Music describes Weiner as “masterfully fluent in the foundational languages of Western pop.” Low Cut Connie website Follow @lowcutconnie Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Singer-songwriter Dar Williams joins Rhett to talk about the process of writing songs that matter, the importance of finding a supportive community, and tells Rhett about the music she’s currently writing. The two discuss prioritizing authenticity over algorithmic success in today’s creative environment, and Dar offers sage advice for aspiring musicians. Dar Williams was always in the right place at the right time for the success she’s had over a 25+-year career. She rose out of the vibrant mid-90’s Boston scene, inspired by the eclectic influences of alt-rockers, Berklee jazz musicians, slam poets, and folk artists, like Patty Griffith, Melissa Ferrick, the Throwing Muses, Vance Gilbert, and Jonatha Brooke. After a year of touring non-stop with her first album, The Honesty Room, in 1994, she was invited by Joan Baez to tour in Europe and The United States. Her most recent album is 2021’s I’ll Meet You Here. Her book, How To Write A Song That Matters is available now. Dar Williams website Follow Dar @darwilliamstour Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Singer-songwriter Jaime Wyatt joins Rhett to talk about her latest album “Feel Good”, working with Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada, and the process of exploring new sounds during the making of the record. Jaime talks about her growth as an artist, why she practices radical self care, and the two discuss the concept of authenticity in music. Hailed by Pitchfork as one of the “most exciting and skillful storytellers” working today, Jaime Wyatt is the kind of generational talent whose raw, honest lyricism is matched only by the power of her huge, unmistakable voice. Her album, Feel Good, takes Wyatt to new heights. Feel Good is bold and ecstatic, built on tight, intoxicating grooves that belie the songs’ substantial emotional stakes. Listen to Feel Good Jaime Wyatt website Follow Jaime @jaimewyatt Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Gavin Rossdale, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of the legendary rock band Bush, joins Rhett to talk about his writing process, the new music that he’s working on, and what he's learned from working with some of music’s most talented producers. Gavin tells Rhett about the moment when he discovered punk rock, and explains why authenticity and individuality are the secret to living a creative life. After three decades, well over 20 million records sold, a GRAMMY® Award nomination, 1 billion streams, and a procession of #1 hits, Bush stand tall as rock outliers whose imprint only widens as the years pass. Their catalog spans the platinum The Science of Things [1999] through Black and White Rainbows [2017]. Thus far, they have notched 25 straight Top 40 hits on the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts, earning seven #1 entries - most recently, 2022's "More Than Machines" off 2022’s The Art of Survival. Their latest release is Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023. Bush Official website Follow Gavin @gavinrossdale Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

M.C. Taylor, singer-songwriter and frontman for Hiss Golden Messenger, joins Rhett from Durham to talk about the latest record, “Jump For Joy”. M.C. tells Rhett about finding his musical voice, the importance of having a creative practice, and the two discuss why it's important to maintain some mystery around the meaning of a song. Describing the Durham-based Hiss Golden Messenger is like trying to grasp a forgotten word: It’s always on the tip of your tongue, but hard to speak. Songwriter and bandleader M.C. Taylor’s music is at once familiar, yet impossible to categorize: Elements from the American songbook—the steady, churning acoustic guitar and mandolin, the gospel emotion, the eerie steel guitar tracings, the bobbing and weaving organ and electric piano—provide the bedrock for Taylor’s existential ruminations about parenthood, joy, hope, and loneliness—our delicate, tightrope balance of dark and light—that offer fully engaged contemporary commentary on the present. And then there’s an indescribable spirit and movement: Hiss Golden Messenger’s music grooves. There’s nothing else quite like it. Hiss Golden Messenger website Follow @hissgoldenmessenger Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Lucinda Williams, one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of her generation, joins Rhett to talk about writing her memoir, the moment she realized she wanted to write music, and learning to understand the difference between songwriting and poetry. Lucinda recalls some of the first songs she wrote and goes into depth about her songwriting process, using a song that she’s currently working on as an example. She shares an important piece of advice that her dad gave her, and explains why digging deep is the key to songwriting. Lucinda Williams’ music has gotten her through her darkest days. It’s been that way since growing up amid family chaos in the Deep South, as she recounts in her candid new memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You (a NY Times Top 5 Best Seller). Over the past two years, it’s been the force driving her recovery from a debilitating stroke she suffered on November 17, 2020, at age 67. Her masterful, multi-Grammy-winning songwriting has never deserted her. To wit, her stunning, sixteenth studio album, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, brims over with some of the best work of her career. And though Williams can no longer play her beloved guitar – a constant companion since age 12 – her distinctive vocals sound better than ever. The past year has seen Williams honored by BMI for her songwriting, her induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, and a Grammy Week tribute at the Troubadour, with her songs performed by a diversity of Americana artists. Lucinda will be touring the U.S. in January - February 2024. Listen to Stories From A Rock n Roll Heart Order her memoir Don’t Tell Anybody The Stories I Told You Lucinda Williams website Follow @lucinda_williams Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Singer songwriter Devon Gilfillian joins Rhett from his home in Nashville to talk about the many musical influences that have inspired his career, how he found his voice as a singer, and what he does to keep himself creatively healthy. Devon explains how he’s maintained a positive outlook throughout his life, and the importance of using his platform for good. Love You Anyway, the new album from Devon Gilfillian, is an intoxicating, genre-blasting game changer spanning soul, hip-hop, R&B and rock, all under the banner of Black joy. With an incisive eye and unassuming swagger, Gilfillian re-imagines modern soul music by redefining its possibilities. A captivating can’t-miss live performer, the Philadelphia-born, Nashville based singer-songwriter regularly commands club, theater, and festival stages around the world. On Love You Anyway, Gilfillian conjures the raw, sexy emotions of his predecessors and the next-level grooves of his contemporaries, taking soul music into an exciting and restorative new future. Devon Gilfillian website Follow Devon @devongilfillian Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Zach Williams is best known as ⅓ of the Nashville-based supergroup The Lone Bellow. He joins Rhett on this episode to discuss the twist of fate that led him to Brooklyn, where his musical journey began, why he took a break from songwriting to try his hand at long form fiction, and the conversation with Jim James that changed his perspective. Zach tells Rhett about The War of Art, a book he turns to when he needs help moving through the inner resistance to create, and the two discuss the very personal process of releasing a song into the world. All born in the South, the three members of The Lone Bellow met while living in Brooklyn and quickly found that in addition to having commonality in their upbringing, they all had wildly potent voices, a knack for harmonies and a desire to write in the great Southern story-telling tradition - songs about heartbreak and struggles and the human condition. Their most recent releases are The Lone Bellow Live and Love Songs For Losers. The Lone Bellow Follow Zach @thelonebellow Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

John McCauley, singer-songwriter and the frontman of band Deer Tick, joins Rhett to talk about getting back on the road with the band post-lockdown and balancing his on stage persona with his life offstage. The two discuss John’s evolution as a songwriter and desire to become a better musician, and John explains why his band continues to push themselves creatively with each new record. Founded by John McCauley in 2004, Deer Tick’s sound blends elements of folk, rock, country, and punk, creating a distinctive and eclectic musical style. Known for his distinctive gravelly voice, introspective lyrics, and intense live performances, McCauley’s musical contributions often reflect personal experiences, exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Emotional Contracts, the latest full-length release from Deer Tick, catalogs all the existential casualties that accompany the passing of time, instilling each song with the irresistibly reckless spirit that’s defined the band for nearly two decades. Listen to the new album Emotional Contracts here Follow @deertickmusic Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Sedona, AZ based songwriter Brandon Decker (aka decker.) joins Rhett to talk about the making of his 8th studio album, Ouroboros. Described as a fusion of poetry and chaos, Decker explains the stories behind the music, which arose out of the grief he felt during his father’s illness. Decker discusses the side hustle he created during the pandemic, his approach to healing, and the importance of spending time in nature to help him navigate through life’s challenges. His latest album, Ouroboros, is available now. Follow Brandon @deckermusic Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Brennen Leigh is an American songwriter, guitar player, mandolin player and singer whose to-the-point storytelling style has elevated her to cult status around the world. On this episode, she joins Rhett to talk about her new album, Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet, being an artist in the age of digital, and the sacrifices that touring musicians make. Brennen explains how she gained confidence as an artist, and shares insight into her songwriting process, including how she determines whether a song is good enough for people to hear. Brenne Leigh’s songs have been recorded by Lee Ann Womack, Rodney Crowell, Sunny Sweeney, Charley Crockett, and many others. As renowned for her musicianship as for her writing, it’s easy to see how Leigh caught the ear of greats like Guy Clark and David Olney. Awash in full-throttle fiddle, weeping steel guitar, a sprinkling of heavenly backing vocals, and anchored by her warm, expressive vocals, her latest album is an emotion-packed revelation. Brennen Leigh website Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Mike Gordon, bassist and co-founder of the seminal improvisational rock band Phish, joins Rhett to talk about his solo album Flying Games and the long, adventurous process of finishing the record. Mike and Rhett discuss grappling with creative roadblocks, what the “Ten-Thousand-Hour” rule really means, and the role that mindfulness and meditation play in songwriting. Mike reflects on the early days of Phish and explains how he transfers the creative flow he feels while performing with the band to other projects. It’s a jam-packed episode full of great stories and useful insight on the songwriting process and living a creative life. Flying Games is Gordon's sixth solo album. It was self-produced and recorded by longtime collaborator Jared Slomoff, and mixed by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs). You can buy or stream it here. Mike Gordon website Follow Mike Gordon on IG @mike_gordon Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett on IG @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

After telling the story of the musicians who shaped his Oklahoma roots in his 2020 book Red Dirt, journalist and author Josh Crutchmer saw an opportunity to dig deeper into the artists that shaped independent roots music. His second book, The Motel Cowboy Show, is about the Americana music in the American West that began with cowboy poetry and lives on today in artists like Reckless Kelly, Micky and the Motorcars, and Ned LeDoux. A New York Times editor by day, Crutchmer also spent three years chronicling the return of the Turnpike Troubadours to the stage and studio for Rolling Stone, as well as the final concert for Robert Earl Keen. In this episode, he joins Rhett to talk about the path that led him to writing, how he approaches his role as a storyteller, and the personal obstacle he uncovered while working on his latest book. The Motel Cowboy Show and Red Dirt are available here. Josh Crutchmer's website Follow Josh on IG @jscrutchmer Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett on IG @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils and Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and musician Grace Potter joins Rhett on this episode to talk about her latest release, Mother Road, and the journey that inspired the music. Grace tells Rhett about finding her voice at a young age, building characters and worlds around her songs, and why she’s more driven now than she ever was. Back in summer 2021, Grace Potter took off on a solo cross-country road trip that would soon bring a life-saving reconnection with her most unbridled self. Heading out on Route 66 from her home in Topanga Canyon, the Vermont-born artist spent the coming weeks crashing in roadside motels and taking time each night to deliriously transcribe the song ideas she’d dreamed up behind the wheel, often scrawling those notes onto the backs of postcards and motel notepads. The result is Mother Road, an album that marks the start of a thrilling new era of Grace’s career. Mother Road is available here. Grace Potter website Follow Grace on IG @graciepotter Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett on IG @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils and Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes!

Stewart Copeland is perhaps best known as the drummer for The Police, but he’s also had a successful solo career as a composer, authoring a prolific series of film and television scores, video game soundtracks, opera, and ballet. His latest project is Police Beyond Borders, a reinterpretation of the seminal 80s band’s classic songs with diverse interpretations and artist representation from South Africa, India, Japan, China, Canada, the U.K., and more. Stewart joins Rhett from his studio in Los Angeles to talk about working in service of art, his career with The Police, and what it feels like to ride the top of the wave. Stewart and Rhett talk about life as a working musician in the age of AI, and why selling out isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Police Beyond Borders will be released on August 18. Pre-save the album here. Stewart Copeland Follow Stewart on IG @stewart_copeland Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett on IG @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes!

Alan Paul is an author, journalist and musician. His fourth book, BROTHERS AND SISTERS: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the 70s, out today, is a deep dive into the time before and after the 1973 album. Alan joins Rhett to talk about his career as a music journalist and unexpected turn as a touring musician. Alan shares the lessons he learned while playing in a band in China, and why it’s important to “know your helpers” when you’re living a creative life. Paul’s last two books have been instant New York Times bestsellers: Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan and One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band. His first book, Big in China: My Unlikely Adventures Raising a Family, Playing the Blues and Becoming a Star in Beijing is about his experiences raising three American children in Beijing and Paul’s unlikely journey to becoming a Chinese music star, fronting the blues band Woodie Alan. Alan Paul website Rhett Miller website Follow Rhett on IG @rhettmiller Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils and Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes!