Jack Barksdale's Roots Revival

On this episode I interview Brendan Forrest, who is a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer-songwriter. I loved getting to talk to him about his musical background, his approach to his music, his new album, Daydreaming Music Fiend (which is available now!), and much more. I hope you like this one and stay tuned for more interesting episodes in the future. As always, you can email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas. Enjoy!

On this episode, I talked with my good friends, Lindi Ortega and Mike Meadows, about a project that we actually worked on together. I've known Mike for a while and have worked with him a lot over the years. Late last year Mike introduced me to his friend Lindi and shortly afterwards we three cooked up a plan to record some Tom Waits songs and release them as a joint single. Lindi and Mike are both amazing artists and musicians and it was an honor to get to work with them both. So please join us as we dive into some of the funny stories and interesting details about this project and how it was made. I hope you enjoy it and as always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

Liam St. John is an amazing singer-songwriter based out of Nashville, TN. His songs are a modern amalgamation of a wide range of American music. Roots, Blues, Rock, Soul, R&B, he does it all. Liam's new EP, Believer is a shift from his two previous “stripped back” records. Believer features full band arrangements of Liam's songs and shows a different side of his music. I really loved talking to Liam about his music, what his music means to him, his journey, his goals, and much more. We even got a surprise visit from his friend Evan Honer. Anyway, this was a very interesting conversation and I hope you enjoy it. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

In this episode, I sat down once again with Van Plating. Van and I last spoke in 2021 when she was releasing her sophomore album. Now, two years later, we've reconvened to discuss her third and most daring album yet, Orange Blossom Child. Chronicling the lives of her and her family, and others undergoing the Floridian experience. Self-produced with 11 songs and many collaborators, such as Elizabeth Cook, Reckless Kelly, and The Damn Quails, to name a few. It's a great album. I hope you enjoy it and learn some cool facts about the album and Van in this episode. As always, email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

Today I sat down with Ed Snodderly, an amazing roots singer-songwriter and musician from Johnson City, Tennessee. We got to talk about his new album (Chimney Smoke) coming out in July, the songwriting class he teaches at East Tennessee State University, how he got started in music, and much more. Ed has released LPs on Sugar Hill and other prestigious roots-oriented labels and, in addition to his solo work, he also recorded and performed as the Brother Boys with duet partner Eugene Wolf. Ed's songs have been recorded by such artists as Sam Bush, John Cowan, Reeltime Travelers, Missy Raines, Jerry Douglas, and several others. His original lyrics from "The Diamond Stream" are featured in Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Hall of Honor Rotunda beside A.P. Carter's standard "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." He also appeared in the Coen Brothers' 2000 award-winning film O Brother, Where Art Thou as the Village Idiot, and again as a ballroom musician alongside Alison Krauss's band. So needless to say there was a lot to discuss and, though we didn't get to touch on everything I was really glad to learn more about him and his music. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

This week I conversed with singer-songwriter, Will Payne Harrison. Will is a Nashville based Country/Roots artist. He just released his new ten song album, Tioga Titan. The album was produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Will, himself. I highly recommend giving it a listen if you haven't already. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

Today I had the pleasure of talking with Ever More Nest (specifically lead singer/songwriter Kelcy Mae). Ever More Nest's new album, "Out Here Now" was produced by Neilson Hubbard. With contributions from multi-instrumentalists Will Kimbrough, Fats Kaplin and bassist Dean Marold, it's hard to go wrong. I really love this new album. It's so soulful and emotive. I highly recommend it as well as Ever More Nest's 2018 album, "The Place That You Call Home." I loved getting to learn more about Ever More Nest, their story and their music and I hope you do too. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

This week I was able to visit with Caleb Caudle. Caleb's new album, Forsythia, will be released in October 2022. It is a treasure trove of great songwriting and self-reflection. On this new album he worked with many fantastic artists and creatives such as John Carter Cash, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Carlene Carter, Elizabeth Cook and more. I hope you enjoy learning about Caleb and his music. I know I certainly did! As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

On this episode of the podcast I talk with Kevin Houston, a music engineer and producer. He's worked with bands and artists such as Robert Plant, North Mississippi All Stars, Patty Griffin, Buddy Guy, Walter Trout, Lucero and many more. In fact Kevin was the engineer on my new song “Gone”. It was fun getting to talk and learn more about the other side of the recording process. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.comfor any questions or show ideas. Enjoy!

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my all time favorite songwriters, Adam Carroll. We talked about how he started, what he's learned over the years, his plans for the future and so much more. I had so much fun learning more about Adam and his music and getting to ask him some questions as a fan that I had been wanting to ask for a while. I hope you learn some cool things from this episode. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

John “Jz” Zaskoda is an amazing musician, songwriter and frontman. His band Dirty Pool, after years of playing shows around Texas, have released their debut album, Late Bloomer. The album blends many genres and styles. It doesn't feel like they're trying to be anyone else, it feels unique, satisfying and original. I had a great time learning more about Jz and I hope you do too. Make sure you go listen to Dirty Pool's album anywhere music is available. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

On this episode of the podcast I interviewed singer-songwriter Kyle Nix. Kyle has been recording and touring as the fiddle player in the band Turnpike Troubadours for years, but in 2020 Kyle emerged with his debut solo album, Lightning on the Mountain & Other Short Stories. The album is a a western-inspired collection of literary songs, which tell stories from Kyle's own history as well as of the many unique characters he may or may not have encountered throughout his years on the road. And if you get the chance to catch him in concert you'll experience a fun, energetic show laced with great storytelling and musicianship. I really enjoyed learning more about Kyle and his story. As always you can email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

Today I had the pleasure of chatting with Cindy Emch of the band Secret Emchy Society. Cindy's music is a blend of Americana, California Country, Gothbilly, Honky Tonk and Roots music. It was great getting to talk to her about her band's new album (Gold Country, Country Gold), her influences, her overall musical journey and more. I hope you enjoy this episode and make sure to check out Secret Emchy Society's new album and have a great day! As always you can email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas. Thanks for listening!

This week I interviewed Graham Weber. Graham is a proud resident of Austin, Texas, a phenomenal singer-songwriter and solo artist. He sings torch songs with his jazz combo and rock and roll with Western Youth. He's the Artistic Director of The House of Songs, which is an organization that invites songwriters from around the world to the United States to share the universal language of music in collaborations designed to bridge cultures and build friendships. Graham is such a talented and interesting person and it was a lot of fun getting to learn more about him. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast and as always you can email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

On this episode of the podcast I had the pleasure of talking with Seattle based singer-songwriter Peter Donovan. We discussed his new album, This Better Be Good (his very first solo album, coming out April 29, 2022), some of his prior projects (All The Real Girls, The Rose Petals), his love of The Beatles, and much more. I hope you enjoy this episode and look up Peter's music if you haven't already. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

This week I got to talk with Jaimee Harris. Jaimee is a phenomenal songwriter with a wonderful voice and a deep passion for music. Her 2018 album, “Red Rescue,” is an amazing collection of awe-inspiring songwriting and musicality that I highly recommend. Her mix of blunt relatability, beautiful imagery, and master-level storytelling is rare and refreshing. No matter what kind of music you like you can find a Jaimee Harris song that you love. I hope you check out her music if you haven't already. You can go to jaimeeharris.com to learn more about her and as always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

Nicholas Edward Williams is a folk singer, singer-songwriter, and creator and host of the music history podcast, American Songcatcher. I had the honor to interview him this week and It was phenomenal. This episode is a bit longer than usual because there was just so much ground to cover. Nicholas is such an interesting individual and it would have felt wrong not to talk about it all. So please enjoy what Is one of my favorite episodes of this podcast so far and have a great day. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

To celebrate the release of my single, Sideways, I had an amazing conversation with my co-writer on the song, Jeff Plankenhorn. We talked about how we came up with the premise of “Sideways,” what influences and inspirations we had for the song, how the song warped and shifted from our original vision, and what ever else we felt like talking about. I hope you enjoy this episode as well as the new single. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

This week I was lucky enough to interview Anthony Simpkins. Anthony is a folk and roots musician and songwriter. With his YouTube channel, GemsOnVHS Anthony acts as somewhat of a modern day Alan Lomax in the way that he finds these great artists and introduces their music to a wider audience. It was fun talking with Anthony about how he got to where he is, his goals, and some shared personal pet peeves. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast as much as I did. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for any questions or show ideas.

Charles Wesley Godwin is a country/folk musician and songwriter with a voice so comforting yet powerful that it can knock you off of your feet. His 2019 debut album, Seneca, set the bar high and he continues to deliver with his sophomore album, How the Mighty Fall, coming out November 5th. I had the privilege of getting an exclusive listen and I can confirm that it's going to exceed all of your expectations. On today's episode Charles talks about the making of the album, how he got to where he is, some of his greatest experiences, and much much more. I definitely enjoyed it and I hope you do too.

I had a great time this week talking with Grace Morrison. Grace has just released her brand new 12 song album entitled Daughter. The album was produced by well respected musician and producer Jon Evans and includes a co-write with Lori McKenna. Not to mention Lloyd Maines makes an appearance on every song on the album! In addition to her new album, we talked about her many unbelievable experiences in the music business, the way the pandemic impacted her music, her influences, and much more. Sit back and enjoy!

I was fortunate enough to interview Elijah Ocean this week. Elijah has been praised as an artist to watch in Rolling Stone, Saving Country Music, LA Weekly, Uproxx, Wide Open Country, and beyond. He just released his sixth studio album “Born Blue.” According to Elijah, this album has been a long time coming. “Born Blue” has a true country sound and I highly recommend it. We talked about many things from how he got started to the trials and tribulations of navigating the music business to what success means and so on. I had a wonderful time. I hope you enjoy it.

This week I had the pleasure of talking to singer/songwriter Dominique Pruitt. Dominique has a new 5 song EP called Praying for Rain coming out July 2, 2021. I enjoyed hearing how she got her start in music, her musical goals and how her new EP came together. So for the singles she has already released from the EP are amazing. As always send me an email if you have any questions or guest ideas to jack@jackbarksdale.com.

On this episode my Mom and I recapped the crazy month that we just had including playing in Houston with Wynonna Judd among other things. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale with questions or show ideas.

I was fortunate enough to sit down and talk with Scott Nolan. I’m a big fan of his and it was so much fun to get to interview him. Scott’s an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Winnipeg, Canada. He has a very rare and unique sound that I absolutely love and I hope you will too. Scott has worked with artists such as Adam Carroll, Mary Gauthier, Hayes Carll, and Fred Eaglesmith among others. Not only is Scott an amazing singer-songwriter, he’s also an astounding poet and collage artist. He has a book of poetry entitled The Moon Was a Feather and he posts his collage art regularly on his Facebook and Instagram. Scott’s a very interesting guy and I can’t wait to see what he’s gonna do next. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

Today my mom and I talk about songs that have been in our heavy rotation lately. Our lists span from John Prine and Townes Van Zandt to Lucinda Williams and Adam Carroll to Kaitlin Butts and Kyle Nix. It was a whole lot of fun. Enjoy! As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for show ideas or if you have any questions.

This week my guest is Jimi Palacios of Gimme Radio and Gimme Country. Jimi also hosts a great radio show featuring roots and Americana music called Country Du Monde. I had a great time talking with Jimi about how he got into radio, who some of his favorite artist are and what some of his goals are going forward. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for show ideas or if you have any questions.

On today’s episode of the Roots Revival Podcast I interviewed Diana Cox with the Kessler Theater, the Heights Theater and the Kessler Presents. We talked about her numerous callings, talents, and goals. She even gave some great advice for up and coming musicians looking to book more shows. I really hope you enjoy it! As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

One of my favorite things about this podcast is getting to meet and learn about people like Van Plating! This was my first time meeting Van and I’m so glad that I had the chance to do so. We talked about her story, her music and what led her to where she is now, with an article in American Songwriter and an upcoming spot in Americana Fest. Don’t forget to check out her new single, “The Way Down.” I can’t stop listening to it! I had so much fun on this week’s podcast and I would like to thank all of you for listening and showing your support! It enables me to keep doing such cool interviews like this! As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to interview Fort Worth based musician, Grady Spencer. Grady and his band, The Work, have been working on a brand new album that should be coming out sometime this year! Grady shared with us some of his advice, stories, and music goals. I had such a great time talking with him and I hope y’all enjoy it as much as I did. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

On this week’s podcast I had the pleasure of interviewing H. Jack Williams! H. Jack has accomplished some unbelievable things over the years, like touring with The Who and writing songs for Gregg Allman, The Oak Ridge Boys, Montgomery Gentry, and Kevin Costner (Yes, that Kevin Costner!). Lately H. Jack’s been focusing on writing , performing, and recording his own music. He released a stunning E.P. in 2020 and came out with a haunting version of “What a Wonderful World” in January of 2021. He is currently working on a full length album that’s due sometime this year. I’ve been lucky enough to write a few songs with him and get know him a bit. H. Jack is a super nice guy and it’s always a delight to interact with him. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

On the latest episode of the Roots Revival Podcast I talk with my good friend, fellow songwriter and musical mentor, Billy Hartman. We got to talk about his writing (and how it’s changed since becoming a dad), his biggest influences, and his ideas for his second album. Billy has an amazing album out called Beans and Cornbread. I would suggest listening to it start to finish at least two times if you haven’t already. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

I met Ken Valdez last year at the NAMM show in Los Angeles. Ken is an accomplished guitarist and songwriter based in Minneapolis, MN. He has played with some absolutely astonishing artists, such as Buddy Guy, Billy F. Gibbons, The Black Crowes, BB King, The WallFlowers, Jeff Healey Band, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to name a few. Despite his increasingly impressive résumé, Ken is one of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure to meet over the last few years. As always email jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

My latest guest on the Roots Revival Podcast is Brandon Callies. Brandon is a Texas based singer songwriter with a new album coming out April 30th called "Sunrise Diner." We talk about his album and more. Check it out!

I’ve been a fan of Hayes Carll’s music and songwriting for years and I’ve also been able to hang out and share a stage with Hayes. He’s always been just as great and as cool as his music! On this week’s episode of the podcast Hayes and I talk about how he got started in music, his dog Winnie, Townes Van Zandt and more. As always email jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

On the latest episode of the Roots Revival Podcast we discuss the songs that make my mom and I cry. Sad, poignant, or sentimental — what brings on the tears for us?Listen to find out. We might even make a playlist of the songs that make us cry. As always email jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas. 

Have you ever heard the song "We Belong" performed by Pat Benatar? Well Dan Navarro co-wrote that song. I talk to Dan talk about the song, his advice for young songwriters, how he has adapted to live streaming during the pandemic and so much more. You definitely don't want to miss this episode.

On this week’s episode I talk with one of my favorite people, Jody Lee Caudle. He’s a radio host, a singer/songwriter, and my friend. It was a really fun conversation and I think you will enjoy hearing some of Jody Lee’s story.

On this week's episode we talk about our favorite contemporary folk singers. Tune in to see if your favorites made the list. If we missed someone you like send me an email at jack@jackbarksdale.com.

Kat Hasty is such a talented songwriter and I’m incredibly excited she made time to be on the podcast. We covered a lot of ground in our conversation including how she went viral on TikTok, Dalton Domino and her new music. If you have any questions or have show ideas email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com.

This week's guest comes from us all the way from California. Not only is Reilly Phillips an incredible musician and songwriter, he is also my cousin. In fact, Reilly and his family have been a huge inspiration for me and my love for music. Make sure you check out Reilly and his music on Spotify, Itunes, etc. As always contact me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

I’m extremely excited about this week’s guest. Matt Bizer Is the Executive Producer and Co-Founder of the Luck Reunion and Luck Productions based at Willie Nelson’s Luck, Texas Ranch. In the episode we talk about how Luck was created, how they have navigated the pandemic, how Matt and I met in New Orleans at 1AM and we even talk about his dog Koki the Corgi. You can learn more about Matt at MattBizer.com and Luck Reunion at luckreunion.com. As always contact me at jack@jackbarksdale,com for any questions or show ideas.

We’re back with another episode of the Roots Revival Podcast. It’s part 2 of our discussion of influential women songwriters. One episode just wasn’t enough and to be honest we will probably have a third episode in the near future. We discuss over 20 of our favorite artists including Holly Williams, Allison Moorer, Larkin Poe, Jackie Darlene, Julie Nolan, Elizabeth Cook, The Buffalo Gals and more. As always, email jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

We are ending 2020 with a bang. Our final Roots Revival Podcast episode of the year features my interview with Matt Sorum. Matt has played with some of the most iconic bands on earth including The Cult, Guns and Roses, Velvet Revolver and most recently he has been touring and making records with Billy Gibbons. Matt and I talk about the new Billy Gibbons record, Matt’s charity work, advice for young up and coming artists and several other topics. I hope you enjoy our conversation. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com if you have any questions or show ideas. Happy new year!

My guest on this episode of Jack Barksdale’s Roots Revival is my good friend Buck Fuffalo. I wanted to talk to Buck about his 6th Annual Buck Fuffalo Family Christmas benefit happening December 17-19. His event will feature 50 artists including Ray Wylie Hubbard, Cody Canada, Bart Crow and so many others. I’m honored to get to be a part of the concert and also to talk with Buck about what motivates him to organize this benefit each year. Visit BuckFuffalo.com for tickets.

'Tis the season to talk about Christmas songs. Robert Earl Keen, Johnny Cash, Ella Fitzgerald are just a few of the artists that made our list of favorite Christmas songs. Take a listen to this episode to see who else made the cut. What are your favorite Christmas songs? Email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com.

I haven't really done a podcast like this before, but I wanted to share a new song I wrote with my friend, Billy Hartman. It's called "Painted White Line." It started as a trucker song, but I guess it really ended up being a song for anyone who travels and misses home. Let me know what you think. E-mail me at jack@jackbarksdale.com.

On the latest episode of the Roots Revival Podcast we discuss what music my mom and I have been listening to lately. We both made playlists of 20 songs that we’ve been spinning a lot this fall. You know we love a good playlist so if you have one we should listen to or songs and artists we should try out please let us know. As always email jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

On the latest episode of the Roots Revival Podcast we discuss Verlon Thompson. Verlon is an expert-level songwriter, guitarist, singer, storyteller and also one of my favorite people in the whole world. On the podcast my mom and I discuss some of my personal interactions with Verlon, his work with Guy Clark (he played guitar for Guy live and in the studio for decades), Verlon’s own songwriting, his shows and what a treat it is to find someone so good at what he does and still be the nicest guy in the world. As always email jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

On the latest episode of the Roots Revival Podcast my mom and I discuss our trifecta of women songwriters that are heavily influential on the music we love. Then we spiral off into other women songwriters, singers and musicians that we love — we talked way longer than we usually do on a regular podcast episode but there are so many artists that we love. And this is only part one! Of course there is a corresponding playlist! We talk about Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith, Kelly Willis, The Trishas, Kelley Mickwee and a ton more! As always, email jack@jackbarksdale.com for questions or show ideas.

We’re back with another episode of Guitar Slingers! This week our guest is Izzy, one of the most unique and creative artists I know. As always email me at jack@jackbarksdale.com for show ideas or if you have any questions.