Our guest today is Billy Simons Jr, (or on Bandcamp) who I ran into by seeing, and loving, a number of the video reels he's shared online, mostly about current political issues & turmoil. Plus, he has wonderful sense of humor that adds an extra charge to his songs.

Part 2 of a Memorial Song of the Soul for Bruce Hecksel, shared by his wife, Julie, including 5 more songs; most written, sung, and played by Bruce on the lead. Bruce and Julie have more than 20 recordings as Patchouli, and also under the name Terra Guitarra, on their label, Earthsign Records. Bruce passed on July 28, 2025, at the age of 57, following a three-year battle with cancer.

Today we bring you a Memorial Song of the Soul for Bruce Hecksel, shared by his wife, Julie. Bruce & Julie have more than 20 recordings, as Patchouli, and also under the name Terra Guitarra, on their label, Earthsign Records. Bruce passed on July 28, 2025, at the age of 57, following a three-year battle with cancer. Bruce is best-known for his amazing guitar work, though he also was skilled at piano, and sometimes played other instruments like drums and wood flutes.

Ana Egge combines a beautiful voice with seriously deep lyrics to make transformative music. With 12 albums under her belt, and with a menagerie of creatures, like roses, snakes, tigers, & the Divine Mother, brought to life in her songs, there is both breadth & depth of vision channeled to us. With roots extending back to Saskatchewan, North Dakota, New Mexico, & Texas, Ana currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Our guest is Johnsmith, a talented, engaging, profound, & easy-going guy.

Last week we got very engrossed in our conversation with David Rovics, so much so that we ended up doing 2 shows of interviewing in one long session, so we have David back this week to provide 5 more songs and the remainder of the conversation. To recap from last week, David Rovics has produced something like 50 albums, and while his style is mostly folk-based, he does some songs which are folk-punk, metal and rock, but there were also a couple years where he was mainly making children's music.

After 18 years we welcome back David Rovics today to share his 2^nd Song of the Soul. David has made an expansive career in writing and sharing music of protest, providing energy for & insight into the issues & mechanics of making a better life for those in the US & around the world. His many dozens of albums cover the gamut, with genres especially of folk, and folk-punk, but also touches of children's music, metal, & rock.

Cheryl Prashker is a talented musician with wide and deep skills, particularly on the drums, but she especially has a heart of gold and bestows endless blessings on all around her. Besides performing decades ago with a back called CC RailRoad, she performs currently with a Celtic-based band called Runa.

We welcome back David Wilcox to share his second Song of the Soul, following up on his 2013 interview. David has a hearty laugh even while digging deep in the challenges and pains of our lives, managing to keep grace and gratitude percolating without rose-colored glasses. His gift is sharing the full story, without inundating us with all the words, thereby calling them out of us as well. He joins us from Asheville, NC.

The music of Ben Bedford talks on on a trip through a wider lens to life, not only that of humans, but of the vibrant world around us, with all our relations. While Ben's words dance lyrically through images and poetry, his tunes dance magically through guitar strings and vibrations.