Acclaimed songwriter and poet Amy Speace joins Jamie on Jrodconcerts: The Podcast for an intimate conversation on creative reinvention, the endurance of the touring artist, and the craft of storytelling across mediums.
Before establishing herself as a staple of contemporary folk and Americana, Speace spent years living in a van touring classical Shakespeare with a New York theater company. In her late twenties, an empty apartment, a bad breakup, and a cheap garage-sale guitar set off a complete artistic rebirth. Amy reflects on pounding the pavement in Greenwich Village during the 2000s, the life-altering moment she was discovered and mentored by the iconic Judy Collins, and why having just one person champion your work changes everything.
Now entering a rich new chapter with her debut poetry collection, The Cardinals (Red Hen Press), and its companion single “Days of Letting Go,” Amy breaks down the structural differences between verse and song. She shares how her grandmother introduced her to Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, why modern East Nashville streetscapes demand honest observation, the raw vulnerability behind writing about fertility and genetics in poems like "Egg Donor #2346," and how she balances intimate literary readings with full acoustic arrangements on stage. The episode concludes with a performance of "There Used to Be Horses Here."
Episode Highlights:
Transitioning from classical stage actor to self-taught songwriter
The 2000s New York demo hustle and the Greenwich Village folk circuit
The mentorship of Judy Collins and creative fearlessness
Literary lineages: Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and grandmother Rosalie
Capturing East Nashville in poetry vs. the confines of a three-minute folk song
Truth, genetics, and motherhood in lyric verse
Bridging indie bookstores and legendary listening rooms on tour
Acoustic performance: "There Used to Be Horses Here"
Connect with Amy Speace:
Website: amyspeace.com
Debut Poetry Collection: The Cardinals (Available via Red Hen Press)
Music & Tour Dates: amyspeace.com/tour
Connect with Jrodconcerts:
Website: jrodconcertsmedia.com
Instagram: @jrodconcertsmedia
Support & Subscribe: Rate and review Jrodconcerts: The Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Support The Show:
DoorDash: When life gets crazy, DoorDash helps bring some order to it. Order Now. https://www.doordash.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
