For the Sake of the Song

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Podcast by Beth P

For the Sake of the Song

A podcast where musicians and music scene folks make playlists of songs they want to share then they tell us a bit about their picks! Hosted by Beth P, each episode includes a 15-song playlist made by the guest and a short interview with the guest about their playlist. Then the interview is added to the playlist as the first track and the entire playlist is posted on Spotify. Find the interviews and playlists on Spotify and the interviews and playlist track listings on Apple Music at For the Sake of the Song Podcast. Or just follow the podcast on Instagram @sakeofsongpodcast for all the links!
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Latest episodes

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23 February 2026

Bobby Stevens

Bobby Stevens is a singer/songwriter and guitar player in St. Louis who writes self-described “tender tunes” but whom I would describe as kindred spirits with John Prine , Bruce Springsteen, and the podcast’s namesake, Mr. Townes Van Zandt. When Bobby’s not around town singing and playing guitar, you can also find him co-hosting the beloved poetry open mic with his partner, Kyle, at The Heavy Anchor the last Wednesday of every month, creating what has become such a special space in the St. Louis poetry, art, and music communities.

Playlist Track Listing:

Playlist Track Listing:

  1. Burnout” by Green Day
  2. “Hiding Out In The Open” by Feist
  3. “Politics of Free” by Woods
  4. “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan
  5. “My Favorite Picture of You” by Guy Clark
  6. “X-Ray Style” by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
  7. “I Wish It Would Rain” by The Temptations
  8. “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” by Bruce Springsteen
  9. “Aside” by The Weakerthans
  10. “The Way It Goes Sometimes” by Garrett T. Capps
  11. “Old Note” by Lisa O’Neill
  12. “That’s the Hurt” by Zack Kelley
  13. “Girl With The Dirty Hair” by Adam Carroll
  14. “The Grave & the Cradle in Bloom” by Andy Cook
  15. “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers

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54:55

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09 February 2026

Skylar Townsend

Skylar Townsend is a St. Louis-based singer/songwriter who released her debut album, “Hit the Ground Runnin’”, in late 2025 and you can find it on streaming services everywhere!

Playlist Track Listing:

  1. “Don’t Fool Around (with the Biggest Fool Around)” by The Goldenrods
  2. “Tulsa Time” by Don Williams
  3. “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes
  4. “Drunken Angel” by Lucinda Williams
  5. “They’ve Closed Down the Honky Tonks” by Miranda Lambert
  6. “Rattlesnake Girl” by Jaime Wyatt
  7. “Crackers” by Barbara Mandrell
  8. “The Book of Love” by The Magnetic Fields
  9. “Motorcycle Drive By” by Third Eye Blind
  10. “Dear Miss Loretta” by Carly Pearce & Patty Loveless
  11. “I Wish I Was the Moon” by Neko Case
  12. “Timber I’m Falling In Love” by Patty Loveless
  13. “A Lesson In Leavin’” by Sierra Ferrell and Nikki Lane
  14. “Queen of The Clowns” by Summer Dean
  15. Carole With An E” by Brennan Leigh

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54:30

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05 January 2026

Travis Dodds

Travis Dodds is well-known around St. Louis, mostly for his amazing guitar playing, which he’s been doing for nearly 20 years now, but he also plays bass, keyboards, synth, mandolin, and sings. And he’s got a lot of former bands to his name, including Jr. Clooney, LePonds, Yannon, Laika, and Big Color, and he also releases solo work as MacsHeadroom. His current project is called God and they just released their first EP back in November 2024 and they are working on their full-length now. If you want to hear the playlist of someone who grew up in Arkansas going to honky tonks and death metal shows, check it out!

Playlist Track Listing:

  1. “The Way Up: Opening & Part One” by Pat Metheny Group
  2. “Out of Sequence” by Drab Majesty
  3. “Either Way” by Wilco
  4. “Selkies: The Endless Obsession” by Between The Buried And Me
  5. “Right Where It Belongs” by Nine Inch Nails
  6. “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” by Waylon Jennings
  7. “Green Man” by Type O Negative
  8. “Ice Monster” by Minus the Bear
  9. “Witches’ Rave” by Jeff Buckley
  10. “Goodbye” by The Sundays
  11. “Aja” by Steely Dan
  12. “Julien” by Carly Rae Jepsen
  13. “The Valley Road” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
  14. “Under The Pressure” by The War On Drugs
  15. “Brakhage” by Stereolab

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38:01

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15 December 2025

FERGUSON

FERGUSON is a singer/songwriter out of Nashville whose indie rock music channels the best of ‘60s-70s era pop. His debut album, State of Gold, was released back in 2019 (under his full name, Ian Ferguson), and he quickly followed that up the with the B-sides record Junk the following year. And now FERGUSON has released his latest album for our listening pleasure, Never In My Life, which came out in late September on County Fair Records. Recorded with producer Will Brown in East Nashville, FERGUSON wrote all of the songs and played every instrument on the album and the result was 10 pop songs that are described as “a spiritual cousin to the experimental pop sounds of Sargent Peppers and Pet Sounds”. Check out Never In My Life wherever you get your music and make sure to follow FERGUSON online to see what comes next!

Playlist Track Listing:

  1. “Solitude” by Duke Ellington
  2. “Love Hurts” by The Everly Brothers
  3. “ Walk on By” by Dionne Warwick
  4. “Hereos and Villains” by The Beach Boys
  5. “Ruby” by Silver Apples
  6. “I’ve Been Waiting for You” by Neil Young
  7. “Tonight Will Be Fine” by Leonard Cohen
  8. “Monkberry Moon Delight” by Paul and Linda McCartney
  9. “Queen Bitch” by David Bowie
  10. “Satori Part I” by Flower Travellin’ Band
  11. “M.E.” by Gary Numan
  12. “Coming Up” by Paul McCartney
  13. “I Can’t Hardly Stand It” by The Cramps
  14. “Voices Carry” by ‘Til Tuesday
  15. “Maureen” by Sade

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

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29:14

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01 December 2025

Julianna Riolino

Julianna Riolino is a singer/songwriter from Ontario whose music has been described as alt-country, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, and more and she's been described as embodying Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt in one person, which is pretty badass! After the success of her debut album, All Blue, Julianna has followed up with her second album, Echo In The Dust, released in October 2025 on MoonWhistle Records. On the album you can expect to hear “big feelings layered with guitar twangs, vivid pedal steel, and walloping horns”. Chicago’s Reader said the album is “a roots-rock album that floats in currents of postpunk, punk, and doo-wop”. And, in this host's humble opinion, Julianna is one of the best out there right now so make sure you check out Echo In The Dust and then check out Julianna's tour schedule to you can make sure to catch her when she comes through a city near you because she is one hell of a performer to boot!

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “Winter Is Blue” by Vashti Bunyan

2. “Sally Go Round the Roses” by Pentangle

3. “On Her Side” by Erin Rae

4. “Swim Practice” by Mariel Buckley

5. “Whatever That Means” by Dorothea Paas

6. “Mr. Sellack” by The Roches

7. “freefall” by Jane Inc.

8. “Your Heart’s A Tin Box” by Kassi Valazza

9. “Rags” by Bria Salmena

10. “Play It Out” by Wolf Alice

11. “Sunday” by The Cranberries

12. “Skin & Bones” by The Sundays

13. “Running Errands (Yesterday)” by U.S. Girls

14. “Honky Tonk Women (Live)” by Ike & Tina Turner

15. “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

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33:06

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17 November 2025

The Cactus Blossoms

This episode features a special co-created playlist, brought to you by Page Burkum and Jack Torrey of The Cactus Blossoms, who have been gifting us modern classics that blend Americana, folk, country, and early rock ‘n’ roll for well over a decade. Based out of Minneapolis, the land of great bands, brothers Jack and Page, along with their band, have released multiple studio albums, each to widespread critical acclaim. No Depression said of their latest album, Every Time I Think About You, “the pair seems to approach their craft with a classicist’s ear, always finding the cleanest words to fill up their harmonies.” Make sure to check out Every Time I Think About You wherever you get your music and follow The Cactus Blossoms on your social media of choice to find when they're playing a city near you!

Playlist Track Listing:

  1. “Every Night” by Paul McCartney
  2. “Waiting For My Child” by The Consolers
  3. “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide” by Nick Lowe
  4. “Lean on Me” by Harry Nilsson
  5. “Lighten Up & Try” by Erin Rae
  6. “Sanza Zomi Na Mibale” by Docteur Nico & Orchestre African Fiesta
  7. “Deep Blue Day” by Brian Eno
  8. “The Wind” by Laura Nyro & LaBelle
  9. “Death of the Party” by Dean Johnson
  10. “How Long” by Skip James
  11. “Take Me Home Jesus” by Link Wray
  12. “With My Face On The Floor” by Emitt Rhodes
  13. “Travelin’ Light” by J.J. Cale
  14. “You Made A Believer Out Of Me” by Ruby Andrews
  15. “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)” by Bob Dylan

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

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36:57