Pursuing the Muse

About Pursuing the Muse

A podcast about songwriting and the paths musicians take to get songs created.

Publisher

Tom Compton

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

23 Jan 2024

Latest episode

4 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

45 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Sept 2026

   Theo Kandel

   Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. Today, we're joined by singer songwriter Theo Kandel to talk about his wonderful new album, A Horse Named Friday. It is the follow up to his debut album Eating, Drinking and Being and Love and I'm happy to say there is no sophomore slump here. Stick around to hear how a stolen bowling ball sparked a ten-minute mockumentary film in addition to a great song. Learn how Sheryl Crow met Paul Simon to inspire his track "The Station,". Also find out why he structured the record to start and end in the exact same musical key. _______________________________________ https://www.theokandel.com/ https://www.instagram.com/theokandel https://theokandel.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3vyFRckdQb9oObCKpYtu2A https://www.facebook.com/theokandelmusic https://www.tiktok.com/@theokandel https://theokandel.myshopify.com/ _______________________________________ • 00:00 - Theme and Intro • 02:19 - Welcome: Tom Compton introduces Theo Kandel to Pursuing the Muse • 02:48 - Production credits on A Horse Named Friday and band lineup • 04:53 - Collaborative arranging and songwriting for "The Station" • 05:48 - Day-of demos vs. Grand Street Recording studio blocks • 06:43 - Growth and grief: The existential impact of losing Oliver Freiberg • 09:14 - "Sadness is a Sine Wave" and the physics of emotional elasticity • 10:13 - The Heraclitean river metaphor of change in "A Horse Named Friday" • 11:00 - Tracklist design, sequencing vibes, and key relationships in G • 12:57 - Sonic arc: Transitioning from pop energy to introspection • 14:21 - John Prine’s influence, universal accessibility, and avoiding pretension • 15:37 - Writing in the conversational second person and self-deprecation • 16:10 - Releasing "For Oliver" as a standalone tribute single • 18:51 - Vanderbilt English degree, T.S. Eliot, and Frank O'Hara's Lunch Poems • 22:30 - The bowling-obsessed real-life origin of "7-10 Split" • 23:24 - Fictionalizing a bowling-alley love triangle with walkdowns • 26:12 - Smashed windows and searching Echo Park dumpsters • 27:39 - PBA Tour bowler Bailey Maverick’s custom balls on tour • 29:06 - Grace Runnels’ screenplay and the 10-minute mockumentary music video • 30:46 - The value of cinematic music videos vs. short-form vertical content • 32:11 - Spinal Tap meets Kingpin comedic overlap in filming • 32:51 - Early songwriting foundations and parents' classic records • 33:36 - Inside Llewyn Davis and the Greenwich Village folk movement • 33:47 - John Fahey, Travis style picking, and DI tape saturation tricks • 36:03 - High school guitar lessons and building muscle memory • 38:06 - James Taylor’s BBC live performance techniques and clean attack • 40:09 - Hollow body guitar sustain vs. clean acoustic ASMR flatness • 41:09 - Learning Colin Hay's "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" • 42:47 - Delays and logistics of the nine-month single rollout strategy • 45:15 - Tracklist length, budget limitations, and artistic discernment • 48:16 - Strip-down palette cleansers: Somewhere Along the Trail, Vol. 3 • 50:49 - Vinyl design and upcoming physical release schedules • 51:20 - "Very Great Quest Tour" West Coast acoustic lineup • 52:16 - Schubas Tavern, wood acoustics, and Chicago Handshake Malört shots • 53:26 - The career sine wave of LPs and acoustic EPs • 54:05 - Substack newsletter and lyrics deep dives in "The 7-10 Split" • 55:34 - Social media footprint across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube • 55:49 - The bonfire metaphor of TikTok algorithmic careers • 57:52 - Meeting Evan Honer and recording "Flight to JFK" live session • 58:13 - Woodstock songwriting retreats and finding community • 59:15 - Stage acrobatics, backflips, and stage bench press alternatives • 01:00:11 - Outro and closing remarks

2. 

   21 Aug 2026

   Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters

   Welcome to Pursuing the Muse; today I’m catching up with Nick Dittmeier of Nick Dittmeier and the Saw Dusters, as well as, talking to bassist Shelley Anderson a bonafide Sawduster herself. Nick is a veteran of the show from season one who is currently on a "relentless" tour supporting his new album, Apparition, which has already taken the band from the Midwest to Europe and back again. Stick around as we discuss the mysterious internet-bot origin of his crazy album art, why Nick decided to "retire" from drinking to become a better band leader, and the his comparisons of European and American audiences. Side note, Nick and the band have never sounded better than they did at Broken Hearts. I have seen this band many times. They are a rock and roll powerhouse that you should not miss when they come to your town. Conversation with Nick will be followed by a chat with Shelley. Stay tuned _____________________________________ https://www.facebook.com/nickdittmeiermusic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGBfrvKReo4rQW7sI1KGfcQ https://www.instagram.com/nick_dittmeier_music/ https://nickdittmeier.bandcamp.com/merch _____________________________________ 00:00 - Intro: Episode Teaser and Welcome 02:11 - Interview Welcome & Supporting Apparition on the Road 03:20 - American vs. European Audiences & Guitar Attention Spans 04:55 - The Bot-Generated Album Art Mystery 06:55 - The Autobiographical Origins of "Apparition" 07:50 - Sobriety: Being the "Captain of the Ship" 10:20 - The "Moneyball" Mindset & Having a Short Memory 12:50 - Splicing the Opener: "Reckless" and "Revenge" 14:00 - The Complex Amalgamation behind "Black Dad White Mom" 17:15 - Modified Telecaster Tones & Hybrid Picking Style 20:20 - Prolific Songwriting & The Modern Cost of Album Releases 23:10 - Glimmers of Optimism in "Running Away" 24:45 - The Road Ahead & Rebranding Social Media Handles 26:15 - Meet Bassist Shelly Anderson & Switching to Bass 28:00 - Bass Influences: From Kim Deal to PJ Harvey 29:05 - 20 Years of Mastering: From Country Stars to Rock Royalty 30:50 - Joining via Instagram DM & Translating Phone Voice Memos 33:00 - Rhythm Chemistry: Comparing Josh vs. Chase on Drums 34:30 - Power Trio Dynamics: "Two for the Price of One" 35:50 - Outro

3. 

   7 Aug 2026

   Thomas Csorba

   Welcome back to Pursuing the Muse. Today, we sit down with Texas singer-songwriter Thomas Csorba. Based in Dallas, Csorba is a modern master of Americana who documents the emotional realities of domestic life and fatherhood on his brand new record, "Tender Country" Stay tuned as we discuss: Why his new album is already in my top four records of the year, his fascinating "Mirror versus Window" theory of artistry, and how getting a day job helped him finally redefine what it means to really hit the big time. ------------------------------------------------ https://www.thomascsorba.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thomascsorbamusic/ https://www.facebook.com/thomascsorbamusic/ https://www.thomascsorba.com/store ------------------------------------------------ 00:00:00 – Intro 00:02:04 – Welcome: Tender Country makes the "Final Four" best records of the year 00:02:57 – Defining Tender Country: Honesty, fatherhood, and pushing against "shock factor" culture 00:05:07 – Artistic Philosophy: Being a "Mirror" versus a "Window" for the listener 00:06:28 – Redefining success and reconciling life on the road with family 00:08:16 – Releasing the Pressure Valve: How getting a day job shifted Csorba's perspective 00:10:30 – Studio Textures: Evoking Stevie Wonder with the Clavinet on "Homemade Margaritas" 00:11:46 – "Bigger Wheels" and capturing the universal truth of watching children grow up 00:12:31 – Turtlebox Records: Partnering with the "Yeti of Speakers" for their debut release 00:15:20 – Songwriting Craft: Instruments, co-writing with Brian Douglas Phillips, and the influence of Emily Dickinson 00:16:35 – "Bigger Than Your Hat": Reworking the "cowboy's blessing" and Harry Nilsson 00:19:13 – Discipline and Accountability: The pros and cons of co-writing 00:20:09 – Willie Nelson lullabies, Texas songwriters, and a deep dive into Tony Rice 00:22:12 – Balancing "Clever" vs. "Authentic": When puns work and when they distract from the heart 00:24:40 – The Editing Process: The "first draft" philosophy and constant tweaking in the studio 00:26:40 – The Life of a Song: Why records are snapshots rather than final versions 00:28:14 – Covering "Little Green Apples": Tradition, shared community, and an "attitude of gratitude" 00:31:09 – THow dying to oneself leads to better art and a better household 00:33:40 – An oil-painting wife, unimpressed kids, and the mundane as sacred 00:35:29 – Family Update: Two boys and a baby girl on the way 00:36:31 – Solo acoustic runs, "lean and mean" touring, and collaborating with David Ramirez 00:38:23 – Thinking in albums, concept records, and new songs 00:41:42 – Outro and Contact Information

Who has been a guest on Pursuing the Muse

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Tim Fitzgerald
• Mike Delevante
• Eric Ambel
• Jon Muq

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

23

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Pursuing the Muse

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Pursuing the Muse