
Inside Blues Traveler’s Songbook: The Stories Behind the Songs (feat. Tad Kinchla of Blues Traveler) – My Weekly Mixtape
This week, I’m joined by Tad Kinchla, bassist for Blues Traveler, as we dig into songs from across the band’s 30+ year career — from radio staples to deep cuts and creative detours you may have missed.
We talk about material from their soul-inspired album, Traveler’s Soul, and revisit the story behind their ahead-of-its-time 2000 digital release, Decisions of the Sky. Tad also breaks down the origins of “F**ked Run,” the band’s darker, minor-key reinterpretation of their signature hit “Runaround,” and how reimagining familiar songs keeps the catalog fresh onstage.
Along the way, we get into Blues Traveler’s collaborative spirit — working with artists like JC Chasez (NSYNC), Dirty Heads, Hanson, Plain White T’s, and Bowling For Soup on 2015’s Blow Up the Moon — and the unique, almost improvisational approach the band uses to craft their ever-evolving live setlists.If you’re a longtime fan or just discovering how deep the Blues Traveler catalog really goes, this is a behind-the-scenes look at a band that’s never stopped exploring its own songbook.
🎙️ Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform—and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review to help more music fans find the show! Then, scroll down to hear all of the songs discussed in this episode! 👇

Back In The Day
Just For Me
All Hands
Sadly A Fiction
Girl Inside My Head
The Path
Twelve Swords
The Sun & The Storm
Traveler Suite
Runaround
Can’t See Why
Let Her & Let Go
Partner In Crime
Thinnest Of Air
Sweet And Broken
Blow Up The Moon (w/ JC Chasez & 3OH!3)
The Mountains Win Again
Hook
But Anyway
Business As Usual
Conquer Me
Optimistic Thought
Carolina Blues
The Devil Went Down To Georgia (Charlie Daniels Cover)
What I Got (Sublime Cover)
No Woman No Cry (Live from Thinnest of Air 2003)
Funky Bitch (Son Seals Cover)
Crazy (Gnarles Barkley cover w/ Rita Wilson & John Scofield)
Fool For You (Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions Cover)
Money Back Guarantee
Groove Is In The Heart (Deee-Lite Cover feat. Liv Warfield & Davie)
Groove Me (King Floyd Cover)
Go Outside & Drive
The Wolf Is Bumpin’
Pretty Angry
You Reach Me


[…] also discuss their upcoming Summer ’24 tour dates with Blues Traveler, as well as dive into some of the band’s unique cover songs they’ve done throughout the […]
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