Wheels Off with Rhett Miller

Grammy Winner Jimmy Webb on Songwriting and His New Album "Yours For The Taking"

Rhett is joined by Jimmy Webb, the Grammy-winning songwriter behind "Wichita Lineman," "MacArthur Park," and "Up, Up and Away," and the author of Tunesmith, the songwriti

Lily Meola on Songwriting and Her Debut Album Lucky to Be

Singer-songwriter Lily Meola joins Rhett to talk about her debut album, Lucky to Be. She's been singing for a living since her first paid gig at age 10, but for years she

Eric D. Johnson on Fruit Bats, Bonny Light Horseman, and Songwriting

Eric D. Johnson has spent over a decade making records as Fruit Bats, and more recently as one-third of Bonny Light Horseman alongside Anaïs Mitchell and Josh Kaufman. He

Hrishikesh Hirway on songwriting, co-writing, and returning to music

Rhett sits down with Hrishikesh Hirway — creator, host, and executive producer of Song Exploder, the podcast where musicians break down how their songs came together — fo

Singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle on his new album and building his own label

North Carolina singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle joins Rhett ahead of a run of Texas and Louisiana dates with Old 97's. Caleb talks about his new album, Heavy Thrill, and hi

Kishi Bashi on 'Sonderlust' at 10, Creative Boredom, and Surfing for Songwriting Inspiration

Rhett sits down with Kishi Bashi for a wide-ranging conversation about creative growth, touring, and what it means to keep making honest work after 15 years in music. The

Jobi Riccio: Americana Singer-Songwriter on Finding Her Voice

Jobi Riccio is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter with a resume that already includes the John Prine Songwriters Fellowship, a Grand Ole Opry appearance, and tours with

Jim Ward: New Sparta Record, Punk Rock, and Chasing that Guitar Tone

Rhett welcomes Jim Ward — frontman and guitarist of Sparta, and a member of At the Drive-In — who dials in from El Paso to talk about the new Sparta record, his punk rock

Tift Merritt on Her New Album Sugar & Making a Life in Music

Rhett welcomes Tift Merritt — Grammy-nominated songwriter and one of Americana's most influential voices — to talk about Sugar, her first album in nearly a decade, record

Josh Ritter on Songwriting, Mentorship, and the Creative Life

Josh Ritter has built a twenty-year career writing songs that collapse the distance between folk tradition, literature, and revelation. He joins Rhett from his home in Br

Aaron Lee Tasjan on Joy, Songwriting, and Learning to Let Go

Aaron Lee Tasjan joins Rhett for a conversation about joy as armor, the craft of songwriting, and the long game of staying creatively alive. Tasjan talks about why he do

Emily Franklin: Love and Other Monsters, Writing 25 Books, and the Creative Life

Author Emily Franklin joins Rhett to talk about her 25th novel, Love and Other Monsters — the untold origin story of Frankenstein and the monsters we create on the page.

Anthony Horowitz: Why the World Needs a Good Whodunit

Anthony Horowitz, one of the world's most prolific and versatile storytellers, joins Rhett for a conversation about creativity, craft, and the enduring power of the myste

Alexis Krauss (Sleigh Bells): Creativity, Instinct, and the Long Game

Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells joins Rhett to talk about making music for 17+ years, trusting instinct over trends, and navigating anxiety, identity, and the pressures of

Kevn Kinney: Songwriting, Sobriety, and 40 Years of Doing It His Way

Rhett catches up with Kevn Kinney, frontman of Atlanta roots-rock institution Drivin N' Cryin, one day after his 65th birthday and on the eve of a new album. Recorded whi

Jared Mezzocchi on Creativity, Grief, and Building “Impossible” Theater

Theater director, playwright, and multimedia artist Jared Mezzocchi joins Rhett for a conversation about what it means to make ambitious, technology-forward work without

Rodney Crowell on Intention, Patience, and the Long Game

Rodney Crowell, often called a “songwriter’s songwriter” and a foundational voice in Americana, joins Rhett for a conversation about intention, craft, and the long game o

Lizzie No on Surviving the New Music Economy

Lizzie No makes music rooted in the traditions of blues, folk, and country, filtered through an indie sensibility that resists easy categorization. Often compared to Alli

Hayes Carll on Creativity as a Long Game

Hayes Carll joins Wheels Off for a wide-ranging, deeply reflective conversation about songwriting as a lifelong practice rather than a race. Speaking candidly about his e

Will Johnson: Songwriting, Collaboration, and the Long Game

Will Johnson joins Wheels Off to talk about making Diamond City on a four-track cassette recorder, touring with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and building a creative lif