RECENT ARTICLES

Rocker Ted Nugent has a new album out on April 29. That LP, Detroit Muscle, showcases the musician’s signature hard-pounding, frenzied songs buoyed by his guitar prowess and gravely voice. But these days, Nugent is more than a musician. He’s a social media presence, an outspoken, often harsh voice in the face of what he perceives as right and wrong in America today.

Here, we caught up with Nugent (of “Cat Scratch Fever” fame) to ask him questions about his new album, his relationship to Detroit rock and roll, his thoughts on COVID-19, Kyle Rittenhouse, the past three American Presidents, and much more. (Hint: he doesn’t hold back.) So, prepare yourself, dear reader, for all that is Ted Nugent.

HBO’s new television show, The Baby, is billed as a horror series in the vein of the acclaimed movie Get Out. And it’s true. The show, which debuts on the premium channel on April 24, is both terrific and eerie, odd and sumptuous.

But beyond the excellent acting, storytelling, and plot, how does a show like this come together musically? How do the folks in charge of writing the songs, scoring the show, and editing the sounds make everything work to bring those eerie feelings to life?

Well, that’s exactly what we asked the show’s composer Lucrecia Dalt, music supervisors Pete Saville and Zoe Bryant, and music editor Ed Hamilton. So, without further ado, let’s see what they had to say about their work below.

Megan Jasper is a true success story. This is funny because she works for the (legendary) record label, Sub Pop, which often bills itself as “Going out of business since 1988.” Clever marketing aside, Jasper is a beacon in the industry. From starting at the label as an intern to becoming its CEO, Jasper oversees quite a bit of music history and future-making from her Seattle-based office.

In the conversation below, American Songwriter asked Jasper about her first days on the job (make sure you check the Kurt Cobain story ). Jasper is also gracious enough to give insight into what a label looks for when potentially signing a new band, how the label looks to honor its local and global music communities and what she loves most about music.

Ethiopian-American songwriter and performer Meklit Hadero is a dynamo. A force. A person to know and cherish. Her music is as spiritual as it is entertaining.

Hadero’s latest project is MOVEMENT, which is a traveling series that highlights the complexity and relationship between migration and music. It begins on May 7 in Seattle at the University of Washington.

We caught up with the artist to ask her about the series, its origins, and what she hopes will manifest from the work that went into creating it. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the wisdom of Hadero here below.

The hit song, “Take Me Out,” by the Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand is like a slug to the head. In fact, that was what helped originate the idea.

The track, which was released in 2004 as the band’s second single from their self-titled LP, is likely the band’s biggest song to date. It reached No. 3 on the U.K. top singles chart and it hit that same number on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also hit No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.

But where did the inspiration for the song come from? How did the band, which included frontman Alex Kapranos, conceptualize the tune? For starters, it all began, Kapranos says, with a sniper movie.

American Songwriter caught up with Kapranos to ask him about the origins of “Take Me Out.” Here’s what the songwriter, guitarist, and frontman had to say about its beginnings and fitting the sonic puzzle pieces together.

We all struggle with writing at times.

But one of the reasons that that is the case is because we don’t know all the great workarounds that some of the best in the business have figured out (even if that means just keep at it). Sometimes, just a nudge in a new direction is all it takes to get back on the right path toward completion and creativity.

Well, you’re in luck!

Here, we ask some successful artists—from Molly Tuttle to Wolf Alice to John Doe, Five for Fighting, and other Grammy Award-nominees and winners—for their techniques, insights, and tips.