On the latest episode of the Morse Code Podcast I speak with singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Anthony Da Costa about the unique trajectory of his musical path, already nosing into its third decade.

At 33, Anthony has continued to forge a symbiotic balance between helping fellow artists realize their own visions and making songs that are uniquely his own.

We discuss his early history as something of young folk prodigy, spending his teenage years opening for artists like Loretta Lynn and Suzanne Vega. It was 2020 that saw him diving into the studio bunker, first with his own music and later, as a producer for hire.

To my mind, Anthony is one of the most interesting song-forward producers working today. In a first-time feature for this podcast, we break open a Logic session for a track he produced for me — “Meet Me at the End of the World” — and talk through some of the color choices he made, and why.

Finally, we play an unreleased song — “When You Get This Close” showcasing Da Costa’s heart-on-sleeve lyrical approach and delicate musical touch.

Song: When You Get This Close

Anthony Da Costa - Vocals, Guitar Korby Lenker - guitar, harmony vocals

I hope you enjoy this conversation and I hope it inspires you to pick up your guitar.

Korby

On the new episode of The Morse Code Podcast I speak with singer-songwriter and ultramarathon runner Jeremy Lister about his unusual - and unusually successful - path in music, starting with his emergence in Nashville as a breakaway artist in the late 2000’s through his recent gigs singing with Eric Church at Coachella to his latest synch on Grey’s Anatomy a few weeks ago.

You never know how these conversations will go - the second half is spent unpacking Jeremy’s addiction, before and after he got sober (he just celebrated his ninth year alcohol-free) and how his decision to leave it behind led to an passion for running, marathon running, and finally, running ultras.

We also play an unreleased song of Jeremy’s, performed live in the studio - “Dirt”.

This episode got into some sensitive territory, including what was going on behind the scenes during the last Street Corner Symphony tour - an a capella group Jeremy co-founded that won Season One of the Sing-Off on NBC, hosted by Ben Folds. I’ve known Jeremy for almost twenty years, including the stretch he describes here. I had no idea what was going on with him personally at the time. It’s a testament to that quote by Socrates, invoking us to Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Below is a direct link to “Dirt”. At the end of the video there’s an invitation to listen to (or watch) a playlist featuring all of the songs recorded live on the Morse Code Podcast. We’re up to about twenty.

Hope you find these conversations as inspiring to your own creative journey as I’ve found them to mine. ~Korby

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In episode #132 of the MCP, I speak with director Kali Bailey about her career in cinema thus far, starting with the wildly successful fan film Neville Longbottom and the Black Witch (over 8 million views on YouTube), a piece written and directed by Bailey based on a character known to Harry Potter fans everywhere. We talk about the act of faith required in seeing a large creative project through to conclusion, as well as the importance of fostering relationships with studios as a means for bringing films from page to screen.

There’s a good bit on writing here as well: we discuss the freedom of writing screenplays without financial limitations in mind vs writing to those limitations so as to actually get something made. Finally, as a female creative in a male dominated space, Kali discusses dealing with sexism on set and the strategies she’s employed to prevent it from derailing her vision. These are just a few of the topics we hit this great conversation with a rising director and a serious-minded artist.

Listen above 👆 on your favorite platform or watch below 👇

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What did you think of this episode? I would love to hear from you - comment below!

~ Korby