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Megan Jasper is a true success story. This is funny because she works for the (legendary) record label, Sub Pop, which often bills itself as “Going out of business since 1988.” Clever marketing aside, Jasper is a beacon in the industry. From starting at the label as an intern to becoming its CEO, Jasper oversees quite a bit of music history and future-making from her Seattle-based office.

In the conversation below, American Songwriter asked Jasper about her first days on the job (make sure you check the Kurt Cobain story ). Jasper is also gracious enough to give insight into what a label looks for when potentially signing a new band, how the label looks to honor its local and global music communities and what she loves most about music.

Ethiopian-American songwriter and performer Meklit Hadero is a dynamo. A force. A person to know and cherish. Her music is as spiritual as it is entertaining.

Hadero’s latest project is MOVEMENT, which is a traveling series that highlights the complexity and relationship between migration and music. It begins on May 7 in Seattle at the University of Washington.

We caught up with the artist to ask her about the series, its origins, and what she hopes will manifest from the work that went into creating it. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the wisdom of Hadero here below.

The hit song, “Take Me Out,” by the Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand is like a slug to the head. In fact, that was what helped originate the idea.

The track, which was released in 2004 as the band’s second single from their self-titled LP, is likely the band’s biggest song to date. It reached No. 3 on the U.K. top singles chart and it hit that same number on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also hit No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.

But where did the inspiration for the song come from? How did the band, which included frontman Alex Kapranos, conceptualize the tune? For starters, it all began, Kapranos says, with a sniper movie.

American Songwriter caught up with Kapranos to ask him about the origins of “Take Me Out.” Here’s what the songwriter, guitarist, and frontman had to say about its beginnings and fitting the sonic puzzle pieces together.

We all struggle with writing at times.

But one of the reasons that that is the case is because we don’t know all the great workarounds that some of the best in the business have figured out (even if that means just keep at it). Sometimes, just a nudge in a new direction is all it takes to get back on the right path toward completion and creativity.

Well, you’re in luck!

Here, we ask some successful artists—from Molly Tuttle to Wolf Alice to John Doe, Five for Fighting, and other Grammy Award-nominees and winners—for their techniques, insights, and tips.

Nashville-based guitarist Molly Tuttle is known as one of the best six-string players on planet earth. If individual fingers were athletes, she’d have 10 Olympians. Yet, as you can see below, Tuttle has also suffered from the concept of “Imposter Syndrome,” or the idea that one doesn’t belong.

Here, in this conversation, we talk with the California-born musician about just that. We also talked with her about her forthcoming new bluegrass record Crooked Tree, out April 1, which she recorded with her new band Golden Highway.

Tuttle talked about her stint living with another great guitar player, Billy Strings when the two were just making their way in the Music City. Tuttle and Strings are longtime friends and collaborators and he, along with others like Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, is featured on Tuttle’s new LP.

Daryl Hall has a new solo compilation album, due out Friday, April 1 and it’s called BeforeAfter. The skilled singer and hitmaker, who rose to fame in the 20th century with his pop duo Hall & Oates, talked about the new LP and much more with American Songwriter.

For the 75-year-old Hall, music is his life. It began when he was very young and has continued with his Grammy Award-winning Hall of Fame duo and now into later years with his solo work and popular web series Live from Daryl’s House. In fact, Hall’s new LP features work from his solo albums and from the popular series.

Fans can see the full tracklist for the double album below, along with upcoming tour dates during which Hall will be joined by famed singer Todd Rundgren. The upcoming two-disc set spans Hall’s five solo albums, from Sacred Songs (1980) to Laughing Down Crying (2011).