Scott B. Bomar, Paul Duncan
331 episodes listed below
Songwriters from Jeff Barry to BTS's 'Butter' co-writers explain how hit songs get made.
Songcraft puts songwriters and artists in long-form conversation about melody, lyrics, collaboration, influence, and studio decisions. Its best moments come when familiar songs are pulled back to their earliest sketches, from BTS vocal production to classic Wall of Sound hooks.
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Songcraft is an interview-format podcast in which co-hosts Scott B. Bomar and Paul Duncan talk with the writers, producers, and performers behind well-known songs to trace how those songs were actually made. Most episodes are titled after a specific song and use it as the entry point for a broader conversation about the guest's career, influences, and process. Guests span several eras: 1960s girl-group and Brill Building writers like Jeff Barry ('Be My Baby,' 'Hanky Panky'), 1980s synth-pop figures like Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears, folk-rock songwriters like Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls, and current pop and K-pop writer-producers like Jenna Andrews and Stephen Kirk (BTS's 'Butter') and Whitney Phillips ('Stuck With You'). Recurring subject matter includes rewriting lyrics for relatability, how producers and arrangers shape a song after the writing is done, the mechanics of professional songwriting camps and sessions, and how legacy artists hear their older catalog today. Episodes run roughly one to two hours and stay conversational and craft-focused, with hosts asking about specific decisions — a rewritten lyric line, a studio arrangement, a vocal take — rather than general biography. The show periodically reissues archival interviews under a 'Songcraft Classic' banner. Listeners get firsthand detail on how commercially significant songs were written, spanning 1960s pop through current Billboard-charting and K-pop material. The format favors depth on one or two songs per episode over broad career surveys. Production is dialogue-driven, built around the host-guest interview with no added narration or sound design.
Made for: Songwriters, music publishing and production professionals, and listeners interested in the craft history behind specific hit songs.
What sets it apart: Unlike broad music-history or fan-focused shows, each episode centers on the granular writing and production decisions behind one specific song, pairing 1960s-era hitmakers with current pop and K-pop songwriting teams.
Songcraft is a bi-weekly podcast that brings you in-depth conversations with and about the creators of lyrics and music that stand the test of time. You probably know their names, and you definitely know their songs. We bring you their stories.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Songcraft gets beneath familiar recordings by asking songwriters to explain the choices, revisions and collaborations that gave those songs their final form.
Paul Duncan and Scott B. Bomar treat songs as working objects, asking their makers how lyrics, melodies, arrangements and vocal performances took shape.
Famous hooks surrender their blueprints to Paul Duncan and Scott B. Bomar, with you eavesdropping.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A grounded Songcraft conversation about shaping "Butter" around BTS's voices, personalities, and the demands of a major pop single.
Songcraft uses Jenna Andrews and Stephen Kirk's work on BTS's "Butter" to get at a practical question: how do songwriters and producers serve a star act without sanding away what makes the performers distinct?
Jeff Barry revisits "Be My Baby" and the early-60s hitmaking world with hosts who keep the focus on craft, memory, and process.
Jeff Barry's SongCraft conversation has its best moments when pop myth is pulled back toward the room where the work happened. The episode circles "Be My Baby," "Then He Kissed Me," the early-60s partnership with Ellie Greenwich, and the shift that came when Barry was free of…
Alexa Ray Joel turns "Heavy Eyes" into a clear, candid conversation about influence, instinct, and writing under a famous shadow.
Alexa Ray Joel's Songcraft conversation uses "Heavy Eyes" as a doorway into inheritance, influence, and the private mechanics of songwriting. The richest moments come when she describes learning by ear, trusting instinct, and absorbing classic pop sounds until they become part…
Joe Henry treats songwriting as an act of character, image, collaboration, and carefully limited self-revelation.
Songcraft's conversation with Joe Henry places him between two identities: songwriter and trusted maker of other people's records. The opening sketch reaches from his own albums to production work with Solomon Burke, Bonnie Raitt, Alan Toussaint, and others, but the episode is…
Emily Saliers revisits Indigo Girls lyrics with warmth, candor, and a sharpened ear for economy.
Songcraft's anniversary re-release brings back a 2019 conversation with Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls, framed by Paul Duncan and Scott B. Bomar as part of the show's 10th year.
A grounded look at Whitney Phillips finding her place in pop songwriting through awkward stages, home-studio work, and the right rooms.
Songcraft's Whitney Phillips episode is at its best when it treats pop songwriting less as sparkle and more as trial, discomfort, and repetition.
Roland Orzabal traces the awkward early steps that helped shape Tears for Fears' songwriting voice.
Songcraft's Classic bonus episode returns to Roland Orzabal with an anniversary frame and a conversation rooted in the practical mystery of songwriting. Paul Duncan and Scott B.
John Kennedy reunites artists and their producers to rebuild one song, plugin by plugin.
Chicago critics DeRogatis and Kot pair new-album reviews with deep dives into records like Rumours.
Billboard's Keith Caulfield and Katie Atkinson break down the week's Hot 100 and 200 charts.
Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson trace viral internet stories from Reddit threads to courtrooms.
Butter spent 10 weeks at number one, but Scott and Paul use the stat as an entry point, not a trophy.
This episode of Songcraft features an interview with Rich Robinson, founding guitarist and songwriter of The Black Crowes, discussing his career and the band's hit songs like 'She Talks to Angels'.
Jeff Barry traces his path from early solo writing on Sam Cooke's 'Teenage Sonata' to collaborations with Ben Raleigh, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector.
This episode features an interview with Jay Buchanan, frontman of the rock band Rival Sons, discussing his Grammy-nominated work with the band and his new solo album Weapons of Beauty.
Songcraft’s Alexa Ray Joel interview centers on Heavy Eyes, a single she describes as “straight out of the mid sixties” and intentionally resistant to “modern AI age” production.
This episode of SongCraft features an interview with blues musician Taj Mahal, focusing on his career, his song 'She Caught the Katy', and his influences in music.
This episode features an interview with Walter Afanasieff discussing the creation and programming behind the classic Christmas song 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'.
This episode features an interview with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Mike Reid, discussing his career writing hit songs like 'I Can't Make You Love Me' for artists including Bonnie Raitt.
A bonus episode of Songcraft featuring an interview with Elvis Costello, discussing his songwriting legacy and the impact of musicians like Steve Cropper.
Joe Henry starts with craft, not confession.
This episode is a re-release of a 2021 interview with songwriter Todd Snyder, reflecting on his talent and recent death under murky circumstances involving mental health and substance abuse issues.
An interview with Bootsy Collins about his career and songwriting, including his work with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic.
This Songcraft Classic bonus episode re-releases a 2021 interview with musician Richard Marx, discussing his career as a hit-making songwriter and artist while celebrating the podcast's 10th anniversary.
Hosts Paul Duncan and Scott B.
This bonus episode of Songcraft features a classic interview with songwriter David Porter, known for 'Soul Man', while the hosts discuss their upcoming music-themed road trip to historic studios.
An interview with country songwriter Sean Camp about his career and craft, preceded by a sponsor ad for a songplugging service.
Emily hears an old lyric and winces.
Whitney Phillips wanted to sing, until performing kept feeling like the wrong job.
A classic reissue comes with a bit of family backstory.
Songcraft interviews Americana songwriter Hayes Carl about his career and songwriting process.
A special 10th anniversary episode of Songcraft featuring a classic interview with songwriter Dan Wilson, discussing his songwriting wisdom and a card game.
Hosts interview Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter about her career and new album.
A bonus episode of Songcraft featuring a classic interview with legendary songwriter and musician Vince Gill.
Hosts interview Tyson Ritter about his career and songwriting process, with a focus on the All-American Rejects' hits.
Hosts introduce a classic interview with Bill Withers, discussing the impact of the conversation on their podcast format.
Hosts Paul Duncan and Scott B.
An interview with songwriter/producer Glenn Ballard about his career and co-writing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill.
An interview with Taylor Goldsmith, lead singer of Dawes, discussing his songwriting and career.
A 10th anniversary episode featuring a classic interview with Survivor's Jim Peterick about writing 'Eye of the Tiger'.
A special 10th anniversary episode of Songcraft featuring behind-the-scenes stories and a sponsor segment for demo recording services.
Hosts introduce a holiday episode featuring an interview with Amy Grant, detailing her career and impact on Christian and pop music.
Interview with songwriter Bonnie McKee about her career writing hits for Katy Perry and others, and her new album Hot City.
Hosts Paul Duncan and Scott B.
An interview with Grammy-nominated songwriter Justin Tranter about his career and hit songs like Good Luck, Babe.
An interview with blues-rock duo Larkin Poe about their songwriting and career.