HeyJaredSongwriter Safari
Songwriter Safari is dedicated to discovering and celebrating the brilliant singer-songwriters who are flying under the radar. My mission is to spotlight these remarkable artists, sharing their music and stories with a wider audience.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 12
- Latest publication
- Sep 25, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 17, 2026
Latest issues
Jim Boyd (opens the original)
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Jim Boyd was a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist from the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington. He was a member of the Arrow Lakes people, one of the twelve tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. His career spanned decades, and his music wandered through various genres: rock, folk, blues, country, bluegrass, and traditional Native influences. I am not going to try to categorize him.Music Was Part of His Life from the BeginningBoyd grew up partly on t
Ezra Vancil (opens the original)
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There are easier ways to start a songwriting career than writing a song to impress a girl. However, it did work for Ezra. For about three days.He wrote his first real song as a young teenager for just that purpose. The girl was impressed only briefly, but Ezra was hooked...on songwriting. <div class="image2-inset"
Chris Iijima (opens the original)
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A Song of Their OwnI usually write about singer-songwriters who are looking for their audience, building a following. But sometimes an audience is waiting for someone to write its songs. Chris Iijima was only in his early twenties when he and Nobuko Miyamoto discovered the second kind.<
Jessie Mae Hemphill (opens the original)
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There are several ways to learn the craft of singer-songwriter. Some figure it out on their own (like “watch, listen, and learn”); some take lessons; and some study with mentors. That is not, by the way, a definitive list. Jessie Mae Hemphill learned her craft from a family that had been making music in the Mississippi hills for generations.Born in 1923 near Como and Senatobia, Mississippi, Hemphill grew up surrounded by musicians. Her great-grandfather, Dock Hemphill (who was born enslaved), wa
Melody Guy (opens the original)
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Two Million Miles of Songs and StoriesMelody Guy is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, guitarist, and seasoned touring performer. Over the course of more than two million touring miles across the United States, she has developed a reputation for fearless storytelling, soulful vocals, and performances that connect deeply with audiences. Her songs draw from a life fully lived, exploring heartbreak, resilience, humor, healing, personal growth, and wisdom that grows out of experience.Musically, Me
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