INTERVIEW: BOB STEWART

After more than five decades spent writing, performing and refining his craft, Bob Stewart has accumulated the kind of songwriting perspective that can only come from a life lived alongside music. As the longtime frontman of the Ohio-based Bob Stewart Band, Stewart has built an ever-growing catalogue rooted in Americana storytelling, drawing inspiration from artists including John Prine, James Taylor and Jimmie Rodgers.

His songs often find humour and irony in the everyday, recalling the conversational storytelling of Prine and Guy Clark, while his work as a guitarist extends into ragtime-influenced fingerstyle playing. It is an approach that feels simultaneously traditional and distinctly personal, music built around observation, character and the small details that make a story worth telling.

That storytelling instinct is at the centre of Stewart’s latest song, ‘Down on Broadway’. Inspired by time spent performing in Nashville and soaking up the atmosphere of Robert’s Western World, the song began taking shape on the journey home to Athens, Ohio. Rather than simply romanticising Music City, Stewart set out to capture the experience as he actually lived it, including the feeling of being part of Nashville’s enormous community of songwriters and performers.

We sat down with Bob to learn all about the new music, his story so far and much more here at FLEX!

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Looking back, what has remained constant in your approach to songwriting, and what has evolved the most?

I almost always wait for the song idea to come to me spontaneously.

Since I began performing in Nashville and Austin, I must admit that country—especially “Americana country”—has been seeping into my writing/composing. I’m trying to keep my songs to about three minutes, and certainly no more than four.

Tell us all about your new single 'Down On Broadway' - what inspired this one?

After playing some rounds in Nashville it dawned on me that just about everyone but me had written a Nashville song. It’s not that easy to say something about Nashville that hadn’t been said many times over.

On the drive back to Ohio, I got the idea of writing a song about having to (reluctantly) leave Nashville to move back home, get a “real” job and pay the bills—but still remembering how fun it was “down on Broadway.”

I was particularly inspired by my first visit to Robert’s Western World, when I heard Wendy Newcomer seemingly transformed into Patsy Cline. I’d also heard plenty of folks complaining about the state of music on Broadway, but after a couple visits I could see that folks were enjoying themselves just fine, in spite of the naysayers. “Down on Broadway” tries to capture all of that.

John Prine, James Taylor and more recently Jimmie Rodgers have all influenced your music. What is it about each of those artists that continues to resonate with you as a songwriter?

My particular approach to finger style guitar playing is probably a pretty good mashup of those three giants. JT was a big influence on me as a teen, then Prine and yes, more recently Rodgers started rubbing off me. I compose a lot of instrumental tunes that have a strong ragtime feel, which I believe underscores Jimmie’s influence.

'Down on Broadway' was inspired by your time in Music City. At what moment did you realise those experiences deserved to become a song?

I had never considered myself a country music fan, per se. I didn’t grow up in a household with country music. Didn’t listen to country radio. But at some point, I became enamored witjh Johnny Cash, Blaze Foley, of course John Prine, and probably many writers we might call country-adjacent. Only after starting to perform in rounds in Nashville, I started to “get it” — the “it” being the appeal of Nashville. The energy of Nashville. And even the openness of Nashville.

How important is it to stay connected to your own community rather than chasing the industry's traditional centres?

My community of Athens, Ohio is, for me, a very nurturing place to write and perform music. It’s a college town with lots of music venues and a wonderful music store that’s been around more than fifty years.

I’ve bought several guitars from Frank and always buy my strings there because we need Frank to stay in business. I record down the road a piece at Peachfork Studio, owned by Bernie Nau — formerly of Nashville.

On this tune I am joined by exceptional musicians — John Borchard (formerly of Austin), Terry Douds and Mark Hellenberg. A previous release of mine, “Sukhumvit Haze,” features a guitar solo by Jorma Kaukonen, and on another EP two of my songs were fronted by J.W. smith of The Blind Boys of Alabama.

After more than 50 years of performing, what continues to inspire you to keep writing new material instead of simply revisiting your back catalogue?

I write only when a song or tune searches me out — probably because it’s how it’s always been, and also because I do like improving my ability to perform what seems like an organically-expanding catalog. I think I have about thirty minutes worth of instrumental tunes that I’ve composed in the last few years. They require constant practice!

Is there a song from your catalogue that you feel best represents who Bob Stewart is as a songwriter, and why?

Over the years the answer would be very different, making it hard to answer this question. “Sukhumvit Haze” is very autobiographical and a very heartfelt expression of memories from growing up in Thailand during the Vietnam War. So, for now, let’s go with that!

And finally, what's next for Bob Stewart for the rest of 2026?

I have another single scheduled to come out in a couple months, which I’m super excited about, and I should have an album worth of songs and tunes set for release in early ‘27. I should also plug a recent album of instrumental hymns, arranged for guitar and mandolin, called “Front Porch Sanctuary.” If finger-style guitar and beautiful mandolin is your jam, it’s worth checking out.

Stream 'Down on Broadway' now: