There’s a moment in this week’s episode where folksinger and creative lifer Anna Vogelzang says, “I needed someone to look at me and say: you’re still doing this.” I’ve been thinking about that. Because it’s not always easy to tell, is it? Whether we’re still in it. Whether it still matters. Whether we still matter.

Anna’s someone I’ve admired for years — not just because she writes these beautiful, poignant songs, but because she’s a true creative lifer. She’s kept showing up through multiple records, two kids, three cities, and a shifting music industry that’s made persistence its own kind of poetry. In this episode, we talk about the transition from ambition to authenticity, how her creative process evolved after becoming a mother, and what it really means to build a sustainable life in the arts.

There’s a lot of honesty here. About burnout. About the identity crisis that comes when the thing you’ve wrapped your whole life around starts to feel… different. And about the ways we come back to ourselves, not in spite of change, but because of it. Anna also shares what it was like to write 144 songs for her new album Afterglow — and how the very act of writing became a lifeline when she wasn’t sure she could still call herself a musician.

As always, this show is for anyone trying to make art a part of their everyday lives — or for anyone who believes in the power of supporting those who do. If you're in a season where the dream feels far away, or you're wondering if it's worth continuing, I think you'll find something in Anna’s story that keeps you tethered.

P.S. — Be sure to check out the gorgeous live performance of “Small Dreams,” recorded in-studio with Packy Lundholm. It’s the kind of song that meets you where you are, especially if where you are is somewhere in-between.

Check it out and then listen to Anna’s brand new record “Afterglow”. It drops tomorrow, everywhere.

“I lived the dream I had at nineteen. Now I’m trying to see what else is out there.”—Jason Carter

For 33 years, Jason Carter was the fiddler for the Del McCoury Band—a role as iconic in bluegrass circles as it gets. He joined at nineteen, fresh out of Eastern Kentucky, and spent the next three decades on the road, backing one of the most revered voices in American roots music. If you’ve seen Del live any time since the early ’90s, you’ve seen Jason—bow flying, head tilted, every note right where it needed to be.

Now, for the first time in his adult life, he’s stepping away from the comfort of that legacy and striking out on his own. It’s not a reinvention so much as a slow reveal: Jason’s still playing the music he loves, just a little more on his own terms. In this conversation, we talk about how it all started, what he learned from years riding shotgun on the McCoury bus, and what finally tipped the scales toward change.

I first saw Jason at the Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival when I was still new to the whole scene. I remember watching him and thinking, This guy is the sound inside the sound. He wasn’t just playing fiddle—he was holding the whole thing together, quietly, from the side of the stage.

And now here he is, not just stepping into the spotlight musically, but in life too. Earlier this year, Jason married his partner and fellow musician Bronwyn Keith-Hynes in the circle of the Grand Ole Opry stage—at sunrise, no less. It’s the kind of detail that feels like the end of a movie. But for Jason, it’s really just the start.

Not only was this a fantastic conversation, but we also got a little taste of Jason steppin out to sing one of his own. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!

In this intimate episode of The Morse Code Podcast, host Korby Lenker sits down with rising Americana star Leah Blevins for a vulnerable, wise, and deeply human conversation about music, identity, and the winding path of the creative life. Leah opens up about her roots in Eastern Kentucky, her gospel-singing family, and the twin bond that shaped her early years.

She shares the pressures and rewards of her recent publishing deal with Major Bob, how she's learned to balance discipline with inspiration, and what it really means to write songs from a place of emotional honesty without burning out. The two also talk about personal growth, relationships, and the surprising clarity that comes from moments of doubt—including Leah’s brief foray into culinary school and what it taught her about staying true to her calling.

The episode crescendos with a live performance of her new single “Hundred Different Sides”, and the news of her record deal with Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound. If you’ve ever struggled with the tension between vulnerability and self-preservation, this one will hit home.

In this revealing episode of The MCP, I sit down with Grammy-nominated songwriter, guitarist, and Americana mainstay Will Kimbrough for a wide-ranging conversation on the hard truths and quiet joys of a life in music.

From his early days as a 12 year old electric guitar player to getting signed to EMI, and then John Prine’s Oh Boy Records, to his work with Jimmy Buffett, Shemekia Copeland, and Todd Snider, Will offers a masterclass in musical longevity, humility, and hustle.

A few of the stories and names he mentions reminded me of what I sometimes foolishly take for granted — namely my geographical proximity to musical greatness. For instance celebrated producer Jay Joyce has a studio not 50 hundred feet away from where I now sit, and in the other direction, three houses opposite, is Eric McConnell’s studio, the legendary location where was recorded my favorite album of all time, Todd Snider’s East Nashville Skyline.

Incidentally, in the picture at top I am sitting across the table from that album’s producer. I was so excited I had to share the story of discovering that album in a CD listening station at Waterloo records in Austin in the closing moments of an otherwise very dismal experience, which was me playing SXSW in 2004. That album is why I moved to East Nashville, and why I live there still. Crazy but true.

Back to Will. Kimbrough opens up about navigating the highs and lows of the industry—learning to trust a team, the freedom of doing things DIY, and how obligation can become an artist’s best creative ally. His career parallels a number of iconic Nashville personalities and institutions, like Mike Grimes (with whom Kimbrough formed the beloved trio the Bis-quits and signed to Prine’s Oh Boy Records).

Finally we get into his life-changing work with veterans through Songwriting with Soldiers and post-traumatic growth programs, and share a few stories about sobriety (his, mostly) and how he’s managed to steer clear of some of the darker potholes that might have otherwise claimed a career now well into in its fourth decade.

And yes—there’s a live performance Kimbrough’s song “For the Life of Me,” with me in there on guitar.

00:00:00 "Desired Obligation" 00:01:08 Congrats on the Grammy Nom, Will 00:03:06 What caught your ear early on? 00:04:12 Seeing Bruce Springsteen on your 12th birthday 00:05:19 Riffing with Doyle at Grimey's about the power of earlier radio 00:06:18 The first thing Will did with an electric guitar 00:09:04 Constant Throughput makes you less precious 00:10:19 Riffing on Jay Joyce 00:11:51 Getting signed - "the shackles were on" 00:17:22 The collateral positives of getting signed 00:20:18 how to negotiate the tension between personal freedom and teamwork 00:23:11 Meeting Jimmy Buffett through Todd Snider 00:24:32 Trying to get dropped and forming the Bis-quits 00:26:49 Energy optimism and drive in finding a manager or launching a record 00:27:20 Why is it you make your best work when you're in a bad way? 00:28:48 Will's collective songwriting 00:31:31 Writing records with Todd Snider East Nashville Skyline and the Devil You Know 00:32:33 Korby's "East Nashville Skyline" story 00:35:54 The story about Todd Snider's fallout with Jimmy Buffett 00:38:00 Getting addicted to the school of Todd and Rodney Crowell and that crew 00:38:56 A version of the dream as expressed by Korby 00:39:55 Working with Shemekia Copeland 00:40:44 Warrior PATHH program 00:41:39 Wills Bob Dylan movie story 00:44:42 Setting up "For the Life of Me" live in studio 00:53:06 Will Kimbrough performs "For the Life of Me" 00:57:07 "Addicted to gratitude" 00:59:53 A story about John Prine's "Hello in there" 01:02:50 Are you melancholy or even-keeled? 01:05:41 How have you stayed open to the constant change? 01:07:30 Some notes on sobriety 01:12:27 That plato quote about everyone is fighting a hard battle 01:15:17 Talking about reading and writing 01:17:15 How a story about a song connects people 01:18:00 A story about writing with Jimmy Buffett

What does human-curated radio mean in an era dominated by algorithms? In this episode of The Morse Code Podcast, I sit down with Celia Gregory from Nashville’s WNXP to talk about the power of radio, music discovery, and how real people—not algorithms—shape the sound of a city.

Celia shares her journey from college radio DJ to morning host at WNXP, the role of local radio in fostering music communities, and why she believes in giving underrepresented artists a voice.

Jordie Lane on Artistry, Resilience & Reinventing the Indie Music Scene. In this episode of The Morse Code Podcast, host Korby Lenker sits down with the Australian-born Nashville-residing singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jordie Lane.

Together they explore the raw realities of making a life in independent music, the necessity of artistic reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of creative authenticity. Jordie shares candid insights on navigating the ever-evolving industry, the emotional and financial struggles of being a full-time musician, and how personal reinvention is key to staying inspired.

From songwriting secrets to tour life stories plucked from his dozen plus years as a road-dogging tourbadour, this conversation is a must-watch for musicians, songwriters, and anyone who believes in the power of storytelling through music.

00:00:00 Intro

00:04:53 The contrast between outward appearances and inward reality

00:06:04 The concept behind "Tropical Depression"

00:08:14 The pandemic's impact on Jordie's mental health

00:10:10 How not being able to travel can increase anxiety

00:11:25 Jordie's decision to make his struggles with anxiety a part of his "official" album rollout

00:12:58 Korby's take on the podcast space as a reflection of culture's demaan for authenticity

00:14:43 Jumping on the authenticity train is also possibly inauthentic

00:16:01 Timeline of the album's creation and release

00:19:05 How did you finance your record Jordie?

00:20:32 Getting in and out of your own way as an artist

00:23:43 Korby's recollection of filming Jordie's video for "The Changing Weather"

00:23:59 The fundemental tension between confidence and its opposite

00:25:04 Getting pooped on as a new dad

00:26:17 Korby use of music as a means of trying to be loved

00:27:42 The imprtance of being in a good headspace to making art

00:30:12 Korby quotes Leonard Berstein's newborn baby quote

00:31:12 Dostoyevsky's claim that in order to make art you have to be both sensitive and in pain

00:33:11 Jordie's perspective on working in film and tv

00:36:04 The fraught romance of touring

00:38:01 The importance of low overhead to creative freedom

00:39:18 Jordie loves the improvised element of on stage banter

00:40:43 Jordie's advice to Korby about banter with a full band

00:42:55 A sudden glimpse into Korby's organizational efforts

00:44:03 The necessary discipline of a self-employed artist

00:48:20 Why Jordie got a shelter dog

00:51:13 The "42 Steps" of making the podcast

00:52:37 Jordie sets up "Empty Room"

00:53:42 Jordie and Korby perform "Empty Room"

00:58:03 A compliment and an inquiry

00:59:51 Jordie's current process for writing songs

01:01:35 Co-writing and trepidation

01:02:15 How Maya Angelou and John Prine write

01:02:56 More detail on Jordie's "waiting" approach to songwriting

01:05:11 What seperates those who create from those who don't

01:06:06 How Meet Me at the End of the World was written

01:07:53 The process of writing is more important than the end result

01:09:20 Suddenly Jordie and Korby are going to try to write one