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Buzz Knight
Taking a Walk Imagine the rhythm of your steps matching the heartbeat of a city. I'm Buzz Knight and today on the Taking a Walk podcast, I'm joined by a voice whose lyrics may catch you by surprise and whose melodies make you want to keep wandering. His name is Jonah Kagan and if you listen to this podcast, you know I like turning you on and being turned on to artists that I just think are really neat. Jonah's songs feel like conversations that you want to keep having. Honest, unfiltered, a little restless, but certainly honest. He's a storyteller who is making things happen now, all by simply staying true to his own mission. So we're going to take a word from our sponsors and then we're going to talk to Jonah next on Taking a Walk.
Jonah Kagan
This is an I Heart Podcast.
Buzz Knight
This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Lexus believes in the importance of Standards One of my standards I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexus, the standard is simple experience. Amazing. Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs, they're feelings, Exhilaration, joy. That sense your car was designed just for you. Machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing. At your Lexus dealer, life's messy.
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Buzz Knight
Please welcome aboard the Johnson family.
Commercial Announcer
The whole fam's here for the Disney Cruise.
Jonah Kagan
So you know, we came to play. And listen. The adults are gonna have a ball. First we're chilling in the infinity pool, onto massages at Sense's spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace lounge for a toast.
Buzz Knight
We're even gonna kick back with Mickey.
Jonah Kagan
On Disney's private island. That's how we get down. Cause Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play.
Commercial Announcer
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Jonah Kagan
Taking a walk.
Buzz Knight
We are with Jonah Kagan on the Taking a Walk podcast. Hello, Jonah.
Jonah Kagan
Hey, man. How are you doing?
Buzz Knight
Doing fantastic. I'm doing one of my favorite favorite things, which is talking to creative people about their work. We're going to talk about sunflowers and leather and we got a lot to unpack here. But before I get to that, I like asking this little opening question. You know, since we do call this podcast Taking a Walk, I do like when possible to be walking in person. But since we're not together either way, I would ask the question, is there somebody that you wish, living or dead, you could take a walk with? And maybe where would you take that walk?
Jonah Kagan
That's a great question. This is a peaceful podcast. I can feel it already. This is like. I feel like I'm walking through clouds right now. This is amazing. I would say as of the last 30 seconds, I would say you buzz. But before that, I would have said Matthew McConaughey.
Buzz Knight
Okay. And I'm not going to be able to beat that one. That's. That's one that would be no doubt very interesting. And I think it would be varied since he is such a diverse character.
Jonah Kagan
For sure, you know, yeah, he, his book actually inspired a lot of this, the journey that I took in making this album. And I hope I get to meet him at some point. Be great.
Buzz Knight
It's an incredible journey. It really is. And I like talking about influences on the podcast. And I do want to start with one that even before I read up on you and I listened to your music, I could have laid a pretty hefty gamble that this particular artist was an influence. And it's one that has come up a couple of times with some other singer songwriters that have been on the podcast. I'm teasing you, but I know you know who. I know you know who I'm going to mention for sure. This artist came up with the great Steve Earl as somebody that he palled around with in his career. It also came up with Todd Snider as well.
Jonah Kagan
I know who you're going to sit and.
Buzz Knight
And also a young man by the name of Will Paquin, who is a. I know him. You know William.
Jonah Kagan
I do, yeah. Will, actually.
Buzz Knight
That's wild.
Jonah Kagan
I will. When I first put out my. My very first song, I put it out through this third party label who was basically just interested in just helping new artists. And I think he took like 1% of the master or something, you know, tiny, and was just helping me put it out. And he was working with Will as well. And Will's just an awesome guitar player and was sweet kid, and I. I got to meet him for like a brief second. So that's cool that you bring him up.
Buzz Knight
I've known Will since he was 5 years old. I'll just leave that right now because I'm a family friend. But anyway. Okay, so who is the person that is the influence that.
Jonah Kagan
Oh, see, now I feel. Now I'm scared. I think. I want you to say it just in case I was wrong, because I don't want to be the one to come out and say it.
Buzz Knight
All right, well, it's Towns Van Zant.
Jonah Kagan
Yeah, there you go. That's who I thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Buzz Knight
Which is so cool that it comes from so many different places. All back to Townes. How did you first discover Townes and what impact did he make on.
Jonah Kagan
On you? I was deep in the Alan Lomax sort of like, discography, and I. I kind of went on this sort of tear before I was making this album where I was really interested in the cataloging of Americana music and folk music and the origins. And I realized that I hadn't. I was kind of talking out of my butt a little bit about certain stuff, and I was like, I can't sit here and call myself any semblance of a folk artist if I don't know, you know, the history. And I. This is like A few years ago, and I started kind of digging in and ended up in the Laurel Canyon world. And I just fell so deep into this rabbit hole. And then somebody told me about Townes Van Zandt. And around the same time, I was discovering that he was an inspiration for a lot of these guys that then defined Americana and defined folk music in the United States. And I was like, how have I not heard of this guy before? And he was such, like, a. I found so much beauty and also pain and just power and emotion in the fact that he was so posthumously influential and that he lived just this really troubled life and never got to see, you know, he had, like, little moment with Poncho and Lefty and a few other things, but he never got to see the fruits of his labor in the sense that, like, he. He. He really defined a. A genre and inspired, you know, like a Neil Young, or. There would be no Neil Young without Towns. There was always something that was really, I don't know, just quietly emotional about the fact that the only reason why I am able to say anything is technically because of Towns. And I just. I feel like this is, like, the first, you know, guy to get up there and be a man and just air out his pain in a way that, like, was, like, with his words and with, you know, and obviously, there's. There's blues. That's part of that as well. But I just. I found so much inspiration in that, in that story alone. And that was before I even listened to his music. And then I listened to his music, and I was just like. I think one thing that I really listen for now when I'm listening to music is like, do I believe what somebody's saying? And. Which is not easy for a lot of people. But I think that's. That's like what folk music, Americana music is. Is like you have something to say and a voice, and you're really saying it. And Townes, I was like, every word. Every word this guy says is. I believe what he's saying. Felt like I was having a conversation with him. So I think it was a combination of the historical context and the fact that he just had such a voice and that I believed what he was saying. I think that was where I just drew so much inspiration from that.
Buzz Knight
I love and appreciate that you are steeped in understanding the history, but also, obviously, very much in the present. Talk about some of the other. Other musicians that have really, you know, at its core, at, you know, a younger age that really impacted you and kind of cemented that you would have a career in music.
Jonah Kagan
Well, the other one that I thought you might say was Jason Isbell. I thought you might mention Jason Isabel. But he. Which is more. More of a songwriting inspiration than anything. He. He's just another perfect example for me of somebody who has something to say, and I believe him. His words are very inspiring to me. But beyond that, probably my most influential artist was this dude, Andy McKee. Guitar player. Andy McKee, because I was a guitarist first, so I played jazz and blues growing up, and then I found Andy. And Andy is a fingerstyle guitar, acoustic guit guitar player who plays in a bunch of different tunings, and he's got, like, bowed fretboards, things like that. And I was just using the guitar in a way that I had never seen before, and it was so beautiful. And I. I was like, I want to make my guitar sound like this. So this is when I was little, maybe, you know, I think I found him when I was 10 or 11, something like that, nine or 10. And I got rid of all the electric guitars that I had and bought one acoustic and started messing around with it. And you can still hear for guitarists, especially, like, if you. When I give that reference, everybody's like, oh, yeah, of course. Like, of course that's an influence for you, because you can really hear him and how I play. But, yeah, he was probably my most influential. And then nowadays, I have a lot more songwriting influences, like the Jason Isbels. Adrian Lanker is a huge one. Yeah, just people who have. Have some. Have a voice, something to say. Drew Holcomb is a great one. That is one that I listen to, and now a friend of mine and somebody I've gotten to work with. And, yeah, I think there's a real community around that type of music, which is. Which is just based around. Around your voice. And that was also a through line in the Matthew McConaughey in Green Lights. It was like this notion that, you know, there are all these stories, but this isn't like a book. This is just. I just got something to say, and it's very simple. But I found so much, like, I'm drawn to people who have something to say and who really have something to say. So that's what's always been. And to me, Andy was that on the guitar. I. I felt. I always felt that, well, you just.
Buzz Knight
Laid out really, the core of what I'm doing with this podcast and the others that I'm involved with that I produce. It's that everybody has a story to be told, and I echo with you also the fact that, yeah, there is this, you know, rising star group of artists like yourself and Luke Tyler Shelton is another one who are just have something to say and are, you know, finding a way to say it with this great historical respect, but also for, you know, an understanding of where things are today. So you were, you're really speaking to why this became a passion and a love for me. You know, coming out of my, my radio career. I was in a rad management side and had on air and all that stuff. But this is coming back, you know, full circle to my, to my roots. I do want to ask you, it's awesome. What was it like when this massive moment in your career called God Needs the Devil happened, which, you know, just became number one alternative radio hit and big streams? I mean, did it take you by surprise, first of all, how big it became and how did you deal with that?
Jonah Kagan
The wildest thing is that it's still. It's kind of actively happening. It went to number one on the radio, which was nuts, but it was a slow burn to get there. And then it also is just now having its peak days on streaming platforms and things like that. And I'm just now starting to play shows, post that moment and I say moment in this, you know, in the sense of a year and a half type of moment. But. And I'm just witnessing like kind of right now the impact of that. And radio had a. Had a huge part in that because radio, I started visiting stations where they were playing the song and, and there were real people there who were listening and showing up and being so kind. And I got to listen to these people's stories and, and they would all tell me about what the song meant to them. And like there was a different. There was a difference in, in that community versus anything I had had before. It just became a lot more real and it is becoming a lot more real. These are real people. Not that there weren't real people before there were, but it was, you know, like, you look at. It's easy to look at numbers on a, on a streaming platform or on a social media or whatever it is and, and not be able to put it into context how many people that actually is. Because it's not. It is people, but it's not really people. Like if you get a million views on a TikTok, like a million people is so many people, but that's like a million. You might get a couple thousand people who are like, wow, I am a real person watching this. The rest are like, nice, and then they keep going. And so I think the thing with God Needs a Devil was that it was there was like a real community and it felt like a very tangible thing that was happening. And I decided kind of when that was happening, the way that I coped with it, I guess, was like, oh my God, there are real people here. This is like an opportunity. And I think I've always said my passion is not in music, it's in people. And music is the vehicle by which I get to kind of fulfill that passion. And that was what changed my life, was this, like, now there are people and I'm going to dedicate my life to being in service of these people, whoever they are. And I will be here as long as they will have me. And I think that's what Americana is also. Americana is like music in service of people. It's somebody trying to find connection with real people and going and meeting them. And, you know, and I haven't really even seen what that looks like just yet. I've only seen it in limited capacities in like, people showing up to tours that I'm supporting. And I've done a couple of headline shows since the song came out, and those all sold out and were these really emotional things. But I think next year I'll really get to see it. But I just want to be out on the road all the time because I just want to go see these people and I want to go meet all these people who've been kind enough to show up and share their stories with me. And yeah, so I think it just adds a whole new layer of fulfillment for me.
Buzz Knight
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast. This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Travel is one of the most precious things in my life, and the memories of each of the experiences live on forever. Chase Sapphire Reserve allows me to travel with ease with a $300 travel credit and access to a curated collection of hotels through the edit. So no matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more with Chase sapphire reserve@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Lexus believes in the importance of Standards One of my standards I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexus, the standard is simple experience. Amazing. Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs, they're feelings. Exhilaration, joy. That sense your car was designed just for you. Machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer Tired of.
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Jonah Kagan
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Buzz Knight
Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast. Let's talk about the origins of sunflowers and leather. It's pretty, pretty incredible. Before I get into asking you to tell the story of the your brand new truck and your Airstream and where where it led you, have you ever seen the movie? And if you haven't, I recommend it. Have you ever seen Lost in America?
Jonah Kagan
No.
Buzz Knight
Oh, okay. Yeah, it's Albert Brooks. It's at his finest. And it's a different storyline than yours, but it does involve him traveling across the country. Some version of a Airstream or. And it's. It's brilliant. It's a brilliant, brilliant movie. But. So this was not a normal adventure that you took. This kind of unfolded. Can you tell the story that led to sunflowers and leather?
Jonah Kagan
I can, absolutely. I. I need to watch that movie also. That sounds great. Although it does feel. It feels good knowing that I. I have already complete. That's my dog going crazy.
Buzz Knight
Dogs are welcome. Dogs are. What's your dog's name?
Jonah Kagan
This is Mars.
Buzz Knight
Mars.
Jonah Kagan
Yep. She's very excited.
Buzz Knight
Hello, Mars.
Jonah Kagan
There you go.
Buzz Knight
You never know. At any moment, Elmer and Sadie might be barking in the background here because in delivery just came from Amazon or something, so. Hello, Mars.
Jonah Kagan
Anyway, it's. I always think this is funny. There was. I. I met this. This girl when I was out on the road and she was talking about how she was on her way to Alaska and the reason why she was on her way to Alaska was because she loved into the Wild. And I was like, did you finish it? And she's like, I made it about halfway through. You made it halfway through into the Wild and then. And then just jetted off for Alaska without getting. I was like, maybe you should, yeah, go to Alaska and then come back and finish the movie. So I'm hoping that whatever Lost in America ends up being will. I've already done the trip, so now I feel comfortable in watching any movie like that.
Buzz Knight
I just tell you one thing on Lost in America and in the. The lesson there, and you'll understand that after you watch the movie, do not ever lose your nest egg in Las Vegas. That's all I'll say.
Jonah Kagan
Okay, this is what I mean. But this also, I will tell you, like, there's always something, and this was the impetus for my trip to answer that question, is there's always something that goes wrong or something happens and it's a story. And like, I didn't. I had stories like that in a limited capacity, but I was like, what would it be like to just intentionally go do something, knowing in my head, like, I know something's going to go wrong, I'm going to get eaten by a bear, or I'm going to, you know, eat a poisonous berry or something like that. I'm going to lose my nest egg in Vegas. I just. I know something is going to happen, but what if I just went out and lived that Way. Knowing that that's going to happen and just see what happens, see what comes out of it. I was like, man, what a meaningful album that is, because that the album at that point would just be a byproduct. And that's exactly what it was. I. I went through a breakup. I had been feeling cooped up for a while. I was like, all right, it's time to do this. And almost immediately, yeah, I bought a new truck and a new Airstream. And almost immediately, like, I think it was like, a couple weeks in, I was towing it and totaled it. I totaled my truck. I got in an accident, totaled my truck, did major damage to the Airstream. And I'm sitting there, like, you know, on the highway in South Carolina, and all these people are driving by. My car's just, like, mangled. And I. All these people are driving by, like, you can't park there, you know, yelling stuff at me and all this stuff. This is what I wanted. This is what I asked for.
Buzz Knight
I got my wish.
Jonah Kagan
Yeah, I got my wish. You know, I'm uncomfortable while I'm in it, but I also. There was a moment where I was just sitting there, just laughing, and I was like, well, here it is, you know, And I had so many different moments. Long story short, there I. I was that. I got humbled by the universe pretty hard there and bought a used truck and used Airstream and converted it myself. Was like, let's do this the right way, and then went back out on the road, and it was good for the next year. Well, not good, but you know what I mean, it was. I didn't total anything.
Buzz Knight
And you built a studio in it.
Jonah Kagan
I did, yes, sir. Yeah. So I forgot to elaborate on that. I pulled out kind of the back lounge in the Airstream and just turned it into a little mobile rig and decided that whatever was going to happen, I was going to just write about it. And so that was the. My song the Reaper was like, the first thing that I wrote after I totaled my truck and. And, you know, got humbled. It was like, all right, it's time to whatever. But that was the first. The first, like, thing. And then I just decided I was gonna do that for as long as it took to get the album out. And I went out and lived that way for about a year, met some incredible people and had some insane experiences. And then the album. Yeah, it was just really. Just a byproduct of that. And I had so many more stories where I was sitting there, just like, well, I wanted this. And you know, some insane inconvenience or whatever. But then eventually the. An album was born, and we went back after the album was done. I took a film crew out on the same route that I took and showed them all the spots where I wrote and recorded the music and did little acoustic performances in those spots and did, like, interviews in different places. So you can actually see where everything happened. And that comes out with the album as well. It's like a half hour.
Buzz Knight
That's awesome. Now, were you were all alone on this trip?
Jonah Kagan
I had. I had my dog. I had Mars, who's over there, and now she's sleeping. But after causing a ruckus. But, yeah, I had more. I got Mars about halfway through, so it was just me for a bit. And then. And then Marsh joined the party.
Buzz Knight
That speaks to the introspective tone. The. You know, the. You know, there's a weariness for sure, that comes through. I want to ask you about a couple of songs.
Jonah Kagan
Yeah, please.
Buzz Knight
First of all, my ash is turning white. Speak about that. That's. That's quite a song.
Jonah Kagan
Thank you. That was the last song that I wrote, actually, funny enough, it's the first song on the album, but the last song that I wrote and possibly my favorite song on the album. I wanted to intro the album with just, like, this kind of. It was almost like a prologue, and then it turned into, like, a real proper song. Yeah, there is absolutely a weariness. I spent a lot of time in my head on this trip, and that song. I was looking at the full album minus that one, of course. Like, before I wrote it, I was looking at the full album and just seeing. I could see the year and the emotional kind of trip that I took along with the actual trip. And I was just realizing that there's so much I wanted to kind of concisely explain why I did this. And basically the message in that song was just like, I'm not afraid of dying. This thing is. As much as it is driven by a love for life and my love for being here, it's also driven by. Deeply driven by a fear of not doing enough while I am on the earth. I'm terrified of that. And that when I do die, I won't. I won't last for a while. I think everything just kind of gets forgotten naturally, and there's just a lot of sadness in that. And again, you can see why I connect so much with Townes Van Zantz is this sort of, like, weariness in his music as well. So that song was really Just like me opening up the last bit of this album and my experience to people, which was just like, listen, this might look really cool. And it was really cool and there's a lot of it that's really special. But like, I'm terrified of not doing enough while I'm here. So this is me giving you everything and it kind of ends on this, like me just begging when I'm like, you'll be all that's left of me. I'm talking about the songs, I'm talking about the people that are listening. I'm talking about my family, I'm talking about whatever. And I'm just. So when I die, don't. Just don't let me die, please. And I think as much as there is fear in, like, I don't want to be forgotten, that's the selfish part of it. But the non selfish part is like, don't stop listening, don't stop feeling, don't stop. Just please, you know, surrender to the music and to the experience. Because that, that was what I did with this album.
Buzz Knight
And since you mentioned the Reaper, which I, I love as well, I mean, I. I listened to the Reaper and I imagine you at a stark place somewhere in the middle of nowhere, probably just contemplating struggles and challenges and where life is heading. But talk a little bit more about the Reaper.
Jonah Kagan
Yeah, that's one of those. That's like very. When my eyes just turned white, it's a little more vague and kind of like introspective. And you can take it different ways. The Reaper is just exactly what happened. It was like I woke up, decided I was cooped up. I'm going to Montana, I'm buying all this new stuff. I'm gonna go like, hell, yeah. I'm gonna go do all these things. Bang. Totaled my car.
Buzz Knight
And I'm like.
Jonah Kagan
And once that happened, I'm sitting there like, what am I doing? This is the universe saying, slow up, child, you're going to get burned. You know, like, you're going to live a long, long life. You don't have to do everything right now. And then I was just kind of recounting everything else. It was like. So I just talked about a couple of every. All the verses in there are real stories and things that happened and moments that I got ahead of myself. And then life was kind of like, slow down, what are you doing?
Buzz Knight
Pick one of the other songs and kind of walk us through how your songwriting process works. You know, pick a one of your other eight favorites off of it, but pick one or two And. And take us inside the songwriting process for you as an artist.
Jonah Kagan
See, find one. I want to find one that's kind of deeper. They all. They all have something a little bit different. One of my favorites is Anvil. There's a song called Anvil on there, and Anvil was. It really depends. I don't really work with anyone because I can't get all the way there for my project. I love working with people for their project, but I can't quite say exactly what I want to say with other people. So my process is usually. It almost always just starts with me and a guitar, and I'm just noodling some stuff. Sometimes it might start with, like, just a word or words or something. But I. My one big thing is I. I cannot be in the emotion that I'm writing about when I write it. I don't know how people do that. Like, when people are. Are, like, sad and then they write a song, I. It blows my mind. I have no idea how people are able to do that. If I'm sad, I'm sitting there just, like, staring at the wall. Like, the last thing I want to do is talk about it. And so I. Once it's aged a little bit, I'll be thinking about a certain thing. And in that song particular, I was thinking about like, man, what a. What a. After my. My breakup that I'd gone through, I was like, man, what a. What a mess. What a mess this all is. And this is just. Just for another lesson, you know? I'm like, not every lesson can be worth all this mess. Right? And that was. That was like, the. The thought. And once I had that, I was just kind of like. I knew that I was going to be talking about something kind of sarcastically. That was really true. And so that was the line. It was the. This lesson can't be worth all of this goddamn mess. That. The song just kind of built itself around all of that. From there, I usually just play and talk. Like, I'll just be playing and this kind of word vomit. And I've. I've found that that's the best way to write when you're trying to actually say something, because, yeah, it's just talking. I want you. I want whoever's listening to just feel like I'm. They're sitting there talking to me, and eventually it takes shape and, you know, if something doesn't make sense, then I'll change the word, but it really is just me just doing random stuff and talking with one sort of theme in the middle.
Buzz Knight
So you'll be taking it out on the road soon.
Jonah Kagan
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I'm very excited for this album to come out so that I can play these songs in context. I've been playing like a lot of new stuff for the last year or two that is on the album, but I'm excited for people to hear the actual recorded versions. And yeah, I'll be on the road for pretty much the rest of this year and then hopefully all of next year. I'll. I'll be doing it. I'll be out as long as. As long as they'll have me.
Buzz Knight
Oh, that's great. The work is masterful. Sunflowers and leather. It's brilliant. I can't wait for people to check it out in person or thank you both through every platform. And it's an honor to talk to you. Jonah. Congratulations on everything. And it's only the beginning, baby.
Jonah Kagan
Thank you so much, Buzz. This is great. I appreciate you.
Buzz Knight
Thank you. And thank you, Mars.
Jonah Kagan
She's way too asleep now. She's over there.
Buzz Knight
Oh, I love it.
Jonah Kagan
I'm sure she would say thank you.
Buzz Knight
Also, thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Jonah Kagan
Share this and other episodes with your.
Buzz Knight
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Buzz Knight
This is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast: takin' a walk
Host: Buzz Knight | Guest: Jonah Kagan
Date: September 16, 2025
This episode of "takin’ a walk" dives deep into the personal and musical journey of rising singer-songwriter Jonah Kagan. Host Buzz Knight explores Kagan’s inspirations, songwriting philosophy, and the remarkable, often unpredictable adventures that shaped his latest project, Sunflowers and Leather. The conversation offers listeners an inside look at how Jonah crafts authentic music rooted in Americana and folk traditions—blending historical reverence, modern storytelling, and poignant self-discovery.
“His book actually inspired a lot of this, the journey that I took in making this album.” (05:48, Jonah)
“I was deep in the Alan Lomax ... cataloging of Americana music and folk music and the origins ... and then somebody told me about Townes Van Zandt ... I found so much beauty and also pain and just power and emotion ... he lived just this really troubled life and never got to see, you know, he had, like, little moment with Poncho and Lefty ... but he never got to see the fruits of his labor.” (08:07, Jonah)
“Do I believe what somebody's saying? ... That’s what folk music, Americana music is ... Every word this guy says is—I believe what he’s saying.” (10:36, Jonah)
“Andy McKee ... he was a fingerstyle guitar ... using the guitar in a way I’d never seen before ... I got rid of all the electric guitars that I had and bought one acoustic and started messing around with it.” (12:15, Jonah)
“I’m drawn to people who have something to say and who really have something to say. So that’s what’s always been ... Andy was that on the guitar.” (14:12, Jonah)
“The wildest thing is that it's still ... kind of actively happening ... It went to number one on the radio ... it was a slow burn to get there ... I'm just witnessing like kind of right now the impact of that. ... I decided kind of when that was happening ... there are real people here. This is like an opportunity ... my passion is not in music, it's in people, and music is the vehicle...” (16:00, Jonah)
“Americana is like music in service of people. It's somebody trying to find connection with real people and going and meeting them.” (18:34, Jonah)
Origin Story
“There’s always something that goes wrong ... what would it be like to just intentionally go do something, knowing in my head ... something's going to go wrong ... But what if I just went out and lived that way, knowing that's going to happen and just see what happens?” (25:40, Jonah)
Introspection and Solitude
“I had my dog. I got Mars about halfway through, so it was just me for a bit. And then Mars joined the party.” (29:30, Jonah)
"My Ash Is Turning White"
“Basically the message in that song was just like, I’m not afraid of dying ... I’m terrified ... that when I do die, I won’t last for a while ... and there’s just a lot of sadness in that.” (30:07, Jonah)
“When I die, don’t—just don’t let me die, please ... don’t stop listening, don’t stop feeling, don’t stop ... surrender to the music and to the experience.” (31:55, Jonah)
"The Reaper"
"I woke up, decided I was cooped up ... I’m going to Montana, I’m buying all this new stuff ... Bang. Totaled my car ... The universe saying, ‘Slow up, child, you’re going to get burned... you’re going to live a long, long life. You don’t have to do everything right now.’” (33:02, Jonah)
Songwriting Process
“I cannot be in the emotion that I’m writing about when I write it ... Once it’s aged a little bit, I’ll be thinking about a certain thing. ... It really is just me just doing random stuff and talking with one sort of theme in the middle.” (34:14, Jonah)
Jonah plans to take Sunflowers and Leather on tour, excited to connect with audiences and share the stories in context.
“I’ll be on the road for pretty much the rest of this year and then hopefully all of next year ... I’ll be out as long as they’ll have me.” (36:53, Jonah)
Buzz closes with praise, calling the new album “masterful” and “brilliant,” and reminds listeners of the power of musical and personal journeys.
On authenticity in songwriting:
"I think one thing that I really listen for now when I'm listening to music is, like, do I believe what somebody's saying?... Townes, I was like, every word this guy says is—I believe what he's saying." (10:36, Jonah)
On the role of music:
“My passion is not in music, it’s in people, and music is the vehicle by which I get to kind of fulfill that passion.” (17:36, Jonah)
On embracing the unpredictability of life:
"There's always something that goes wrong or something happens and it's a story... but what would it be like to just intentionally go do something, knowing in my head ... something’s going to go wrong..." (25:40, Jonah)
On legacy and mortality:
“I’m terrified of ... not doing enough while I am on the earth. ... When I die, don’t—just don’t let me die, please. ... Don’t stop listening, don’t stop feeling.” (31:55, Jonah)
Casual, warm, and deeply reflective. Both Jonah and Buzz speak candidly, with affection for music’s history and enthusiasm for storytelling. The episode feels conversational and personal but reveals profound insights about craft, risk, vulnerability, and artistic growth.