Soup Gronda On 54 Years Of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Songcraft, And Staying Grounded

A Superman shirt, a Beatles jolt on TV, and a lifetime of songs that refuse to be one thing—Soup Gronda takes us inside the Ozark Mountain Daredevils with stories that feel like morning coffee on a back porch. We talk about how a group of songwriters built a band by honoring difference instead of forcing sameness, letting each track get the arrangement it deserved. That choice gave us the staying power of Jackie Blue and If You Wanna Get To Heaven, and it also confused a record industry that wanted tidy categories. Soup explains why they stuck to their guns and why the songs won.

You’ll hear how craft really works: capturing ideas with muddy hands in a garden, editing with intent, and the legendary moment Glenn Johns literally sliced tape to tighten Jackie Blue for radio. We dig into the lost art of album sequencing—five songs on side A, five on side B—and how that flow shaped deeper listening beyond the single. Soup’s philosophy keeps coming back to the same anchor: good songs last; bad ones vanish like a Bic lighter. The band wasn’t chasing “best player” polls; they were chasing melodies, words, and feels that people carry for decades.

We also explore the human choices behind the music: saying no to a Hollywood move, staying rooted in Missouri with families, gardens, and clean creeks, and valuing professionalism that starts long before showtime. Soup shares a clear creative credo—persevere, put in the hours, and finish the work. No rough mixes, no shortcuts. As we preview the upcoming Factory show, expect a generous helping of classics with fresh songs that keep the band curious and alive. If you love music history, songwriting process, and the soul of American roots rock, you’ll feel right at home.

If this conversation hits you like a favorite chorus, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves real songcraft, and leave a review telling us the Daredevils track you still carry with you.