Song & Story

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Conversations with songwriters about their songs. Each episode begins and ends with a featured song played in full, allowing the listener to hear it with fresh ears and a new perspective. We explore the story behind the song with the artist who wrote it, discussing specific lines, phrases, themes, m…

Kevin Heider


    • Aug 9, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 45m AVG DURATION
    • 35 EPISODES

    5 from 29 ratings Listeners of Song & Story that love the show mention: lyrics, kevin, songs, music, write, love love, story, conversation, experience, first, interesting, listen, like, great.



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    Latest episodes from Song & Story

    BONUS: Enola’s Wake (or, How I Learned to Start Worrying and Stop Justifying the Bomb)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2021 48:03


    War is always a defeat for humanity. On the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, singer-songwriter Kevin Heider takes us on a sonic trip through history as he reflects on the morality of nuclear war.

    Beauty & Pain (feat. Count the Leaves)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2021 53:48


    Pain is unavoidable in this life. For those who experience it more than others, is freedom possible? Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter, Count the Leaves, ponders this question in her hopeful tune "Elephant."

    To A Girl I’ll Never See Again (feat. Chris Cole)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2020 68:44


    Some people leave lasting impressions. Why some stick with us while others fade remains a mystery. Singer-songwriter Chris Cole dives into the romance of it all in his song "Mercedes."

    A Justice Song (feat. Jenny & Tyler)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2020 56:16


    It's a beautiful thing when art goes to work for the common good, to keep the flame of our collective conscience burning. Jenny & Tyler's anthemic "Waters Roll" is powerful cry for justice.

    Who We Are Is On the Line (feat. Merlot Embargo)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2020 49:41


    Making the most of the time we’re given. Overcoming the fears that keep us from trying. Staying true to who we are. These themes are at the heart of Merlot Embargo’s infectious pop anthem "One Day."

    Every Age I’ve Ever Been (feat. Denison Witmer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2020 62:44


    Reflecting on our most formative experiences is an essential part of the growth process. Denison Witmer's "San Francisco" is a moving tribute to the passage of time and the places that remain in our memory long after we've left them.

    BONUS: The Homeless & The Pandemic

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2020 47:45


    In lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to have an honest conversation with Michael Vanderburgh (executive director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Dayton, Ohio) about the struggles of serving the homeless during a global health crisis.

    When Love Is A Storm (feat. Sarah Kroger)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2020 51:34


    Every relationship has highs and lows. Sometimes love feels like a dream — sometimes it's a storm. Sarah Kroger's beautiful song "I Choose You" lends an honest and hopeful voice to the ups, the downs, and the daily choices we make to stand in love.

    All We Have Known (feat. Tyler Hook)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2020 47:00


    Someday all we have known will come to an end. As sobering as this reality may be, it hasn't stamped out man's search for meaning or our desire to love and be loved. In the midst of all the uncertainty, Tyler Hook's "Let's Go" is an invitation to hope.

    Despite All the Hurt (feat. Kevin Heider)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2019 56:27


    There’s a lot of hurt in this world. How do we navigate the pain and uncertainty wrought by the impermanence of all things? In this flipped episode, Marie Miller interviews our host, Kevin Heider, about his song “Down by the Sycamore Tree,” a moving narrative about grief and loss.

    BONUS: Springsteen & Me (From Nebraska to Ohio)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2019 15:12


    Upon the release of his new album "Ohio," Kevin Heider walks us through his journey into Springsteen's music. As the Heider family home video archives prove, the roots run deep. "Ohio" is available now on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and more.

    Our Homeland (feat. Marie Miller)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2019 54:15


    Home is a place we sometimes have to leave to find. It's everything we long for. And it's worth fighting for. Marie Miller's boot-stomping anthem about returning to our "Homeland" is imbued with an infectious hope.

    So Much Love to Give (feat. James & the Drifters)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2019 44:14


    There are things in this world that we can’t control. Everyone experiences loss and insecurity. This is why we need each other. In their latest single "Tides," James & the Drifters showcase a cool indie new wave vibe to remind us that we all have so much love to give.

    The Battle (feat. Jimmy Mitchell)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2019 44:24


    Some stories are told without words. In his original musical compositions, Jimmy Mitchell paints with pianos and strings to separate light from darkness, to tell the story of "The Battle" that rages around and within us all.

    Season Two Intro: My Sweet Elinore

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2019 13:26


    In this delightful introduction to season two, our host (singer-songwriter Kevin Heider) sits down with his daughter to discuss her love of music. It concludes with an acoustic in-studio performance of an unreleased song.

    BONUS: Learning to Lament w/ Wendell Kimbrough

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2019 28:12


    Artists evolve. They're always growing, changing, and challenging themselves creatively. As he learns to lament and let go, Wendell Kimbrough’s latest album (“Come to Me”) reflects the evolution of his artistry and his person.

    Two Ways To Be Worthless (feat. Wendell Kimbrough)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2018 51:22


    We all get by with a little help from our friends. Sometimes their love is tender — sometimes it's tough. In his clever throwback tune "Two Ways To Be Worthless," Wendell Kimbrough playfully explores the tougher side of love.

    BONUS: A Slow Burn w/ Ike Ndolo

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2018 41:15


    Ike Ndolo’s latest album (“Shine”) is a unique experience from start to finish. He tells us a lot more about what went into it in this bonus episode. We also talk about live performance, evolving as artists, fan feedback, dancing, Ike’s quasi-fetish with beautiful hands, and more!

    The Brother On the Outside (feat. Ike Ndolo)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2018 64:29


    Life is a symphony. We all have a part to play. While questions of identity and purpose are universal to the human experience, the color of a person's skin is a formative detail. Ike Ndolo shares his story as a brother on the outside in "Your Table."

    You Never Said Goodbye (feat. Sister Sinjin)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2018 50:18


    Death is the primordial fact of life. And yet, it seems easier sometimes for the dying to accept death than for the living to accept loss. In a moving homage to those who have passed, the women of Sister Sinjin say “Goodbye” in their own beautiful way.

    death goodbye sister sinjin
    Someone to Bury Me (feat. Uptown Boys Choir)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2018 49:49


    Fresh air and clarity. We all need it, especially amid the pursuit of love. Uptown Boys Choir puts a delightfully self-deprecating spin on the classic love song in "Bury Me," an indie pop vitamin full of good vibrations.

    fresh bury bury me uptown boys choir
    Mile Marker 154 (feat. Jacqui Treco)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2018 49:52


    It's amazing how memories unfold. In the blink of an eye, entire scenes and seasons of life re-play themselves in our minds. Jacqui Treco remembers with gratitude in "Genevieve," a moving tribute to unrepeatable love.

    There’s No Place Like Home (feat. Dawson Hollow)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2018 40:09


    There's no place like home. But what does "home" even mean? That's the question at the heart of Dawson Hollow's triumphant indie-rock epic "Take Me There."

    Fighting for the Wrong Side (feat. Scott Mulvahill)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2018 53:14


    Love is a battlefield. When the fog of war starts to dissipate and the smoke rolls back, that’s when we begin to see more clearly. Scott Mulvahill ponders this part of love and relationships in "Fighting for the Wrong Side."

    Humans Helping Humans (feat. Michelle Mandico)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2018 54:32


    Our best bet in times of trouble is our relationships — our ability to serve and help others. Singer-songwriter Michelle Mandico appeals to empathy in her captivating "Water Bearer."

    The Ache of the Decision (feat. Mike Mangione)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2018 39:27


    Some decisions alter the course of our lives in dramatic ways. And those decisions are often accompanied by an ache, a feeling of desperation: Should I go forward? Should I turn back? Should I start over? Mike Mangione gives the ache atmosphere in his riveting "At Your Gate."

    Burn Down Your Cage (feat. Year of the Buffalo)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2018 49:48


    We've all got cages that we long to escape from. We've all experienced the weight of worldly expectations, self-doubt, and seasons of discontent. Collaborative duo Year of the Buffalo takes us on a musical adventure in their song "Leo" to let us know that breaking free is possible.

    I Won’t Soon Forget (feat. Patrick Mahon)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2018 41:16


    There are places that stick with us, places we'll remember all our lives. Patrick Mahon's "Allegheny" takes us on a beautiful retreat to one such place in rural Pennsylvania. It's a song and a trip we won't soon forget.

    When Did We Get This Way? (feat. Maria Price)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2018 51:29


    Grief runs on its own clock. And everyone processes it differently. Shame, regret, and that endless barrage of what-if scenarios can make dealing with loss all the more difficult. Maria Price faces it all head-on in her beautiful, honest, and soulful "This Way."

    No Will That’s Free (feat. Derek Webb)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2018 49:55


    An essential issue of our time is the relationship between men and their machines. When it comes to technology, are you in control? How free is your will? Derek Webb's "I Feel Everything" explores this terrain within the context of a nuanced and uniquely creative morality tale.

    The Price of a Memory (feat. Rebecca Roubion)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2018 38:04


    Everything gets questioned when a relationship ends. Decisions are second-guessed; movement and growth can seem impossible. Rebecca Roubion embraces the necessary sadness of it all in her heartbreakingly honest and beautiful song "Cripple Me."

    It’s a Beautiful Life (feat. David Wimbish of The Collection)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2018 44:33


    It's easy to dwell on chaos and pain, to process the heavy things and lose hold of our joy. But David Wimbish has learned that sometimes we need to slow down, be present, and rest in the slow turn of the earth. Hope is the lens of his "Beautiful Life."

    A Forest Full of Second Chances (feat. Alanna Boudreau)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2018 51:53


    Making sense of our messes can be difficult. So Alanna Boudreau looks to the ephemerality of the seasons for hope. In our debut episode, we discuss this gifted songwriter's "Controlled Burn."

    A Brief Introduction & A Piece of Maria

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2018 18:03


    Song & Story officially launches on Tuesday, April 10th. This introductory episode explores songwriting, storytelling, music, and art, and offers insight into the inspiration and origin of this podcast.

    A Brief Introduction

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2018 4:16


    This brief introduction provides all the necessary information for Song & Story's official launch date (April 10th), release schedule, and format without offering much else in terms of substance. For a much more interesting and comprehensive introduction, see: A Brief Introduction & A Piece of Maria.

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