New Joni Mitchell Podcast Features Allison Russell, Bruce Hornsby, Arooj Aftab │ Exclaim!

A new podcast will honour Joni Mitchell and the musical journeys she has inspired over 10 weeks.

Led by Carmel Holt, host and creator of the SHEROES podcast and radio hour, The Road to Joni will feature interviews with musicians and non-musicians about their connection to the legendary Canadian songwriter.

Featured guests on The Road to Joni will include “Joni Jam” performers Allison Russell, Hozier, Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe of Lucius, Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Sista Strings, while further insights come from Bruce Hornsby, esperanza spalding, Madison Cunningham, Arooj Aftab, Kathleen Edwards, Béla Fleck, Corinne Bailey Rae, Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso), Anaïs Mitchell, Jobi Riccio, Don Was, and longtime Mitchell photographer Norman Seeff — who is behind the image you see above, which famously covered Mitchell’s 1976 album Hejira.

New episodes will arrive weekly as Holt embarks on a cross-country trip from New York to California and back again, stopping Los Angeles for a pair of “Joni Jam” concerts featuring the legend at the Hollywood Bowl on October 19 and 20.

“Everyone has their own road to Joni, and where that road led them,” Holt shares of the podcast series. “The road that Joni has taken, and the new road she has been on, continues to be inspirational, emotionally resonant, and unexpected. She is one of the most impactful artists across genres, genders, and generations. She is a risk taker, a visionary, a trailblazer, and a survivor. The renaissance that we have been lucky to collectively witness since her return to the stage at Newport Folk Festival in 2022 is miraculous, and also fueled by Joni’s unquenchable fire.

“What we are celebrating on this Road to Joni is how she not only passed the flame to all of those she’s inspired, but also how that flame has been passed back to her, sparking her to take to the stage once again. And so the circle game continues.”

Hear a trailer for The Road to Joni in the player below.

In June, Mitchell’s ’70s jazz period was celebrated with the arrival of The Asylum Albums (1976-1980). The artist also returned her music to Spotify in March.