I Wrote this Song for You - with Wells Hanley

10/09/2022

BEFORE I GO (for Tookie) ~ new episode out today

LISTEN: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes

My Aunt Tookie has always been the black sheep of the family. Sharp as a tack, comically irreverent toward convention, and unafraid to speak her mind, she has forged her own unique path in life. She's recently been moved into hospice care, but before she dies she has one very unusual wish...

01/08/2022

DINOSAUR CROCODILE!
In case you missed it, here's a link to the video my son Sasha and I made when he was small. Lyrics, music, and video are by me and Sasha.

Hear us discuss the making of this video and much more in Episode 7 - Sleepy Time (for Sasha)
LISTEN HERE: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes

Official Post from I Wrote this Song for You

29/07/2022

I wrote a song for my aunt Tookie, and I'm headed to Greensboro today to play it for her. She's been in hospice for months and has hung on in part because she wants to be able to attend her own celebration of life/ funeral. So tomorrow we are having a big sendoff to honor her and my uncle Royce who died a few months ago. I'm happy we get to grant her her wish of a big celebration, and I'm sad to have to say goodbye. It's such a cliché but life is short - say what you need to say before you go.

17/06/2022

Father's Day Special Episode 🌞 Sleepy Time (for Sasha)

LISTEN: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes

When my son Sasha was born, I wrote a bunch of songs for him. When he was four years old, we wrote and recorded a song together called “Dinosaur Crocodile”.

He’s in sixth grade now, and in this tangent-filled conversation we discuss all of this and much more, including kids who eat caviar, his early vacuum cleaner obsession, and fathers who make up silly songs while cooking breakfast.

30/04/2022

It's a huge honor to collaborate with This Jungian Life podcast on their SHADOWLAND series.

Lisa, Deb, and Joseph approach complex issues with genuine curiosity and compassion as well as nuance and insight. I found their interview with Beth to be moving and thought provoking.

Many thanks to Laura Ann Singh and Rei Alvarez for their beautiful singing on "Beyond the Breaking Point", a love duet that I wrote for Beth.

Beth underwent gender transition from natal female to trans male and has since de-transitioned. She wishes she'd had more help differentiating her inner world from her gender expression.

28/04/2022

New episode out today!

Elizabeth Johnson Rice is a prominent 1960's social activist and a survivor of a near-death experience. Hear her story of crossing over and back again and how it changed her life, along with her song "Second Chance" which features the incredible René Marie on vocals.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../i-wrote-this.../id1566745882

or on the website: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes

A huge thank you to René Marie for helping me bring this song to life and to Elizabeth J Rice for being such an inspiration! Also starring Randall Pharr, bass and Billy Williams Jr., drums.

10/04/2022

New episode coming soon!

Here's a post I made on Patreon about my fortuitous visit with the amazing Elizabeth Johnson Rice yesterday.

I'm rolling out a slew of new episodes this spring and summer and enjoy sharing behind the scenes photos, blogs, and videos with my patrons as I go. I'd love to have you join me on this incredible journey!

Official Post from I Wrote this Song for You

24/10/2021

Meet Darius!

Darius de Haas is the incredible voice behind "Ready to be Loved", the song I wrote for Topher and shared with him on Episode 5 of "I Wrote this Song for You".

Darius's musical and acting talents have landed him gigs like Broadway's "Rent", Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", The NY Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park, and too many more to mention.

Aside from being one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, he is a songwriter's dream - he brought so much emotion, pathos, and soul to every word I wrote and brought the song to life in a way I couldn't have imagined.

A million thank you's to Darius for helping to make this gift for Topher a reality in the most beautiful way possible!

Listen on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-wrote-this-song-for-you/id1566745882

or on the website: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes/episode/22ecf5c6/episode-5-ready-to-be-loved-for-topher

17/10/2021

Episode 5 - Ready to be Loved (for Topher)

We all need to be loved, to be accepted, to belong. Straddling multiple subgroups within the culture, Topher describes himself as "Too white to be black, too black to be gay, and too gay to be Christian". He's suffered bullying and discrimination in silence... and now he's beginning to speak out.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../i-wrote-this.../id1566745882

or on the website: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes

A heartfelt thank you to Topher for sharing his stories so courageously, and to Darius de Haas for his beautiful singing on "Ready to be Loved".

09/10/2021

Meet Moira!

Moira is a kind soul and a beautiful singer. Here we are rehearsing together in NYC for her upcoming show "Witness". Hear our conversation and the song I wrote for her entitled "I See You with My Heart" in Episode 4 of "I Wrote this Song for You".

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../i-wrote-this.../id1566745882

or on the website: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes/episode/3a50ac73/episode-4-i-see-you-with-my-heart-for-moira

"...Some people exude kindness, acceptance, and love, and we feel deeply seen and appreciated in their company. As her vision is fading due to a degenerative eye disease, Moira continues her important work of seeing the beauty in every person who passes her way."

30/09/2021

Bonus Q&A with Sophie is out now!

So many of you have written to share how moved you were by Episode 1 - "Indian Summer (for Sophie)", so I invited Sophie back to talk some more...

Prompted by questions from listeners, we explore a wide range of topics including Dan's continued presence in her life, how her song has impacted her over time, and the wisdom of dreams.

Listen through the Apple Podcasts link below or on the website: https://www.iwrotethissongforyou.com/podcast-episodes

‎Show I Wrote this Song for You, Ep Bonus Q&A with Sophie - Sep 29, 2021

09/09/2021

I am deeply honored to be collaborating with This Jungian Life on their illuminating and compassionate new mini-series.

When I heard their intimate and soulful conversation with Kay, a s*x worker and single mother, I felt compelled to write a song for Kay. Hear their conversation as well as Kay's song in this inaugural episode of "Shadowland".

This is Shadowland a new podcast experience from This Jungian Life that explores the lives of people who work and take refuge in the hidden places of our culture. Lisa, Deb, and Joseph collaborate with songwriter Wells Hanley, creator of I Wrote This Song For You podcast, to bring insight, compassio...