She's the Fresh New Face of Folk Music: A Chat with

Shelly Fairchild's Waited Long Enough

Shelly Fairchild on Staying in the Queue, Recording at FAME, and Building an Independent CareerOn Curious Goldfish, host Jason English talks with Mississippi-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Shelly Fairchild about persevering through setbacks (“stay in the queue” and “buy the tree”), including losing a major label deal 20 years ago after being outed and forging an independent path since. Fairchild shares why it took a decade to make her new album, how a Kickstarter funded it, and why she recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals with producers Gary Nichols and Greg Beek, describing the studio’s historic energy and an accompanying documentary shoot. She compares the new record’s themes of home, loss, and identity to earlier albums, discusses songs like “End Up in Austin,” “Missin’ Mississippi,” and “Struggle,” and reflects on musical theater roots, touring as a backing vocalist, and writing high-volume sync music for TV/film—including navigating AI demo tools and changing music economics.00:00 Stay in the Queue01:05 Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro01:51 Water Filter Cold Open03:34 Ten Years Between Albums05:16 Why Muscle Shoals and FAME10:26 The Magic of Muscle Shoals12:45 Themes and Storytelling Roots14:56 Finding Her Sound Over Time17:22 End Up in Austin Backstory20:00 More Songs and The Struggle23:11 Musical Theater Origins28:46 Business Lessons from Touring32:01 Stay in the Queue34:32 Whirlwind Tour Lessons35:39 Bus Driver Wakeup Call37:24 Two Decades in a Blur38:08 Making Money with Sync41:14 How Sync Writing Works44:44 AI and Demo Shortcuts47:52 Losing the Deal Coming Out51:00 Authenticity and Activism56:06 Curiosity and Distribution59:49 Tour Dates and Farewell

'Don't Chase the Chicken' - Jon Muq on Stress, Songwriting & His Incredible Journey

Jon Muq on Captive Audiences, Culture Shock in Austin, and Writing Joyful Songs | Curious Goldfish (30A Songwriters Fest)At the 30A Songwriters Festival, host Jason English interviews Ugandan-born, Austin-based musician Jon Muq about his unusual path into music and life in the U.S. Jon describes learning English through singing, first to homeless children in Uganda and later as a cruise-ship performer building a 250+ song repertoire, plus how “We Are the World” sparked his belief his voice could “fit in a tune.” He recounts arriving in Austin for a refugee fundraiser during SXSW, navigating community and dating culture differences, and developing his English fluency through music. Jon discusses his debut English album "Flying Away," including writing “Butterflies,” his moment-driven songwriting approach for a second album, his philosophy of posting content without chasing metrics, and launching the Afrobeats-focused label/event project Shake It Africa, while reflecting on stress, authenticity, and the future of the music industry amid new technology.00:00 Wild Austin First Date01:06 Podcast Intro And Guest Setup03:10 30A Festival Vibes05:15 Back To Uganda After Years07:02 Music As Language Training08:04 Singing For Street Kids09:25 We Are The World Spark11:48 Cruise Ship Bootcamp13:23 Landing In Austin By Chance16:03 Finding Community In Austin16:55 Community and Offense17:26 Dating Culture Shock19:12 Connection Versus Work19:46 Visa and First Gigs20:24 Flying Away Album21:45 Butterflies Backstory23:05 Writing in the Moment25:28 Artist Mindset and Ambition26:57 Happy Songs and Stress28:44 Content Pressure and Identity30:34 Shake It Africa Plans32:07 Curiosity and Future Tech34:01 Runaway Live Performance

A Tattoo She Can't Remember Changed Her Life: A Chat with Caitlynne Curtis

Caitlynne Curtis on ‘You Need Jesus’: Sobriety, Songwriting, Jonah’s Freestyle & the Pressure of Being the Life of the PartyHost Jason English welcomes Nashville artist Caitlynne Curtis to Curious Goldfish to discuss her new album You Need Jesus, her shift away from relying on TikTok for promotion, and plans for a May acoustic headlining tour selling physical CDs. Curtis explains the album’s mix of country and gospel elements, highlights tracks like “Devil You Made,” “Amen,” and “Life of the Party,” and shares how alcohol once helped her cope with attention until a Halloween 2024 blackout became a rock-bottom moment that led to sobriety, church, and reading the Bible. She also describes collaborating with Struggle Jennings, lessons from The X Factor about constant practice and growth, parallels between car sales and promoting music, and her son Jonah’s one-take freestyle feature on “Survivor,” emphasizing confidence and future goals.00:00 Party Persona Trap00:46 Podcast Welcome01:52 Meet Caitlynne Curtis03:25 Album Release Check In04:57 Promotion And TikTok06:18 Jonah And Viral Growth07:51 Tour Plans And CDs09:12 Acoustic Tour Origins10:57 Meaning Of You Need Jesus12:33 Halloween Rock Bottom14:09 Sobriety And Fan Connection16:29 Jonah On Survivor17:24 Freestyle Becomes a Song18:16 Parenting Jonah With Confidence20:41 X Factor Resilience Lessons23:52 Sales Skills and Self Belief25:05 Artist Mindset Today25:59 Life of the Party Meaning28:01 Amen and Second Chances28:58 You Need Jesus and Dating30:34 Curiosity Goals and Future32:50 Advice to Younger Self33:50 Closing Thanks and Farewell

Seventy is the New Forty for Dan Navarro

Dan Navarro on Saying Yes: Writing Pat Benatar’s “We Belong,” Voiceover Breakthroughs & Staying Curious at 72 Songwriter and voice actor Dan Navarro joins host Jason English at the 30A Songwriters Festival to discuss his “say yes” philosophy and how it shaped his 40+ year career. Navarro recounts nearly refusing to write “We Belong” during a feud with Eric Lowen, then co-writing it in 90 minutes before it became a long-running Pat Benatar hit that now drives most of his catalog income. He explains how saying yes to a small jingle session launched decades of union voice and singing work, including Family Guy and films like Coco, Encanto, and Puss ’n Boots, and why touring remains the income he can control. Navarro reflects on positivity, relationships behind songs on Horizon Line, plans for a Spanish-language album, concerns about streaming economics, and his curiosity about what’s next. 00:00  Say Yes Turning Point 00:48 Podcast Intro Dan Navarro 02:34 30A Festival Vibes 03:39 Touring Life After COVID 04:28 Friends In The Round 05:52 We Belong Bar Story06:57 Feud To Hit Song 10:24 Royalties Mailbox Money 12:40 Touring As Control 13:37 Worst Career Decisions 14:34 Advice Just Say Yes 15:05 Voiceover Breakthrough 16:13 Say Yes Voiceover Hustle 16:40 Anonymity Versus Fame 17:35 Soundalikes And Movie Rooms 18:18 Staying Positive In Your 70s 20:11 Horizon Line Breakup Songs 22:20 She Dreams In Music CoWrite 23:42 Spanish Album Next 24:40 50 Years In The Game 25:51 Streaming Royalties Reality 27:44 Curiosity About Whats Next 30:25 Live Performance Ordinary Days

Authentic Sounds from the Shoals: A Chat with Craig Alvin

00:00 Artistic Dysmorphia00:58 Welcome to Curious Goldfish02:46 Meeting Craig Alvin05:01 AI in Music Production08:45 Vintage Gear and Character11:30 The Old Equipment Advantage13:26 Transition to Digital Mixing14:56 Building Noble Steed Studios19:13 The Muscle Shoals Magic21:24 Grammy Winning Golden Hour24:06 Music Business and Monetization27:13 Success and Social Media28:30 The Evolution of Music Industry31:10 From Performer to Engineer35:00 Growing Up in Gospel Music35:58 Understanding Studio Fear38:44 Artists Who Know Their Strengths39:48 When Fear Holds Artists Back42:18 Embracing Imperfection in Recording46:28 Listening Beyond the Studio50:20 Philosophy and Musical Insight54:02 Wrapping Up the Conversation