In this episode, Ben and Daniel talk to playwright, composer, and lyricist Michael R. Jackson about Tori Amos's 1994 album Under the Pink. They also discuss Liz Phair, Joni Mitchell, Mariah Carey, alt rock, Fiona Apple, Show Boat, William Finn, In Trousers, Raisin, Sondheim, Company, Rent, and Passing Strange. Michael talks about how he discovered his favorite songwriters and how they influenced his own writing process. Michael's acclaimed new musical A Strange Loop recently played to sold-out audiences, and the cast recording is now available from Broadway Records.