In Conversation with Emma Swift about "Blonde On The Tracks"

This month, the Australian singer-songwriter Emma Swift releases her album of Bob Dylan cover songs, Blonde On The Tracks.

In our conversation, Emma tells me about the story behind the album, how she came up with the song selection, the advantages of singing Dylan as a woman, and the autobiographical dimension of cover songs.

You can listen to and order your copy of Blonde On The Tracks on the Emma Swift bandcamp page, or from the record store of your choice. Be sure to also check out the music videos for I Contain Multitudes, Queen Jane Approximately, and You’re a Big Girl Now.

In Anticipation of Rough And Rowdy Ways - What You Need To Know Before Its Release!

On Friday 19 June, Bob Dylan releases Rough and Rowdy Ways, his first album of original songs in eight years.

Giddy with excitement, Laura drops in to bring you all the info you need to know to bring you up to speed on the whats, the whys, and the whos ahead of the big day!

Here is the link to the Dylan interview with Douglas Brinkley in the New York Times.

You can purchase the album here.

And if you’d like to buy your “This is what a Bob Dylan fan looks like” t-shirt or the “I Contain Multitudes” tote bag, you can do that here. All proceeds from the shop during the month of June will be donated to Black Lives Matter. Thank you!

Podcast: Bob Dylan's "I Contain Multitudes" - What Does It All Mean?

On the 17 April, Bob Dylan released his second surprise song in one month, "I Contain Multitudes". Borrowing more than just the title from Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself", Bob Dylan paints a vivid modern portrait of a country divided.

Laura takes a close look at the new song and asks the hard hitting questions: is “I Contain Multitudes” Bob Dylan’s own take on Song of Myself? Is this Dylan’s way of finally embracing the responsibility of being a thought leader and voice of his generation? Listen and find out more!

Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul": JFK, Conspiracy Theories, and the Soul of America

In the midst of a terrifying pandemic, Bob Dylan has released his first original song in eight years. “Murder Most Foul” is a 17 minute long epic about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But as with much of Dylan’s work, a closer look reveals much more. I have tried to put my initial thoughts into words, but unravelling all the cultural references alone could take hours!

So this episode is a reflection not only on this song, but also on what it means to be a Bob Dylan fan in this day and age.

I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please share!

Here’s the Spotify playlist with all the music referenced in “Murder Most Foul”:

Also, here’s the link to the Tom Paine award speech and the apology letter, and you might be interested in these Kennedy poems, which Dylan wrote shortly after the JFK assassination.

I hope you’re holding up out there and taking care of yourself both physically and mentally.

Laura

Definitely Dylan Podcast Trailer

Definitely Dylan is now also a podcast!