Sandfly Songwriter Series

Josephine Johnson hosts a live Sandfly Songwriter Series episode at Driftaway Cafe in Sandfly - Savannah, Georgia, featuring local multi-instrumentalist Cory Chambers (City Hotel, Swamp Tooth) and audience Q&A.
 
Chambers discusses arriving in Savannah in 2011, his Atlanta-area roots, starting guitar at 18, and inspirations including John Prine. He performs songs about his grandfathers (“Ridin’ Next to Me” and the new “Concrete and Cabbagetown,” set in Depression-era Atlanta), plus Swamp Tooth material rooted in conspiracy themes (“Blue Beam,” “Reptiles on a Magazine”) and a warehouse-work anthem (“Made in China”) based on his job shipping automated cat litter boxes.
 
He also plays “Night Flight” about River Street’s Night Flight Cafe and debuts “Cupid Blue,” inspired by Laurel Grove Cemetery. Chambers plugs a Foxy Loxy solo gig and Swamp Tooth’s album Reptiles on a Magazine.
 
CONNECT WITH US:
VISIT DRIFTAWAY CAFE
MEET JOSEPHINE JOHNSON
MEET CORY CHAMBERS
LIVE MUSIC, SOUND & PRODUCTION TEAM DEE DANIELS MEDIA
 
FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Series Welcome
00:47 Meet Cory Chambers
02:12 Dinner Plans and Questions
02:54 News and First Song
03:57 Ridin Next to Me
09:09 City Hotel vs Swamp Tooth
11:44 Origins and Early Music
15:25 Concrete and Cabbagetown
23:44 Family and Armstrong Story
26:31 Swamp Tooth Songwriting
28:11 Project Blue Beam Song
32:50 Vito Update and Bluegrass
33:20 Solo Gigs and Duo Setup
34:05 Dinner Break and Thanks
35:23 Reptiles on a Magazine
41:09 Warehouse Anthem Made in China
44:47 Cat Litter Box Day Job
46:11 Influences and Songwriting Pride
49:35 Superpower Talk and Night Flight
56:11 Closing Song Cupid Blue
01:00:16 Next Gig and Merch Plug
01:01:46 Series Outro and Credits
 

Welcome to the first Sandfly Songwriter Series live music podcast episode with host Josephine Johnson, recorded for a live audience at Driftaway Café in history Sandfly, Savannah, Georgia.
 
Josephine introduces Savannah-based songwriter and performer Aaron Paul Zimmer, noting his work with the folk bluegrass trio City Hotel, solo gigs around town, and his background growing up near Cartersville, Georgia, attending UGA, and teaching eighth grade English. Zimmer performs “Cutting Teeth,” “Anything But Everything,” the City Hotel bluegrass murder ballad “Katie Brown,” and “Like They Used To,” which he co-wrote with his wife, who contributed old-movie details.
 
In conversation, he describes moving with his parents to an off-grid cabin at 12, reading, walking the woods, and developing his songwriting and guitar playing, which his father first taught him. Audience questions cover his favorite cereals, whether he writes lyrics or music first, musical inspirations, and how teaching gives him hope through his students’ peaceful diversity.
 
CONNECT WITH US:
VISIT DRIFTAWAY CAFE
MEET JOSEPHINE JOHNSON
MEET AARON PAUL ZIMMER
LIVE MUSIC, SOUND & PRODUCTION TEAM DEE DANIELS MEDIA
 
FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Meet Aaron Paul Zimmer
02:24 Housekeeping and Questions
03:39 First Songs Live
09:50 Roots in the Woods
13:30 Bluegrass Murder Ballad
19:05 Audience Q and A Fun
21:43 Writing Process Talk
23:35 Like They Used To
27:46 Teaching and Hope
29:36 Musical Inspirations
27:57 Closing Thanks
 

Welcome to the Sandfly Songwriter Series, hosted by musician and artist Josephine Johnson and recorded live at Driftaway Café in historic Sandfly, Savannah, Georgia.
Each episode features live local music, honest conversations, and the stories behind the songs. From intimate performances to behind-the-scenes moments with featured singer-songwriters, this series celebrates the heart of Savannah’s creative community.
Subscribe now and join us for live music, storytelling, and authentic conversations from one of Savannah’s most unique listening rooms.