Podcasts about bluegrass situation

Surprise! This is not an episode of Folk Files: It's an episode of Basic Folk! Basic Folk, produced by the Bluegrass Situation, is a podcast that features honest conversations with folk musicians. Hosted by Cindy Howes and Lizzie No, Basic Folk approaches interviews with warmth, humor and insightful questions. Since 2018, this podcast has dignified under the radar roots musicians by providing a platform that they might not otherwise have.This episode features Carolyn Kendrick, whose latest project explores the complex themes of moral panic, tradition, and the figure of the devil aka Satan aka Lucifer. The LA-based songwriter opens up about the inspiration behind her album "Each Machine." She shares her unexpected journey into researching the devil, sparked by a podcast project that ended up overtaking her life, leading her to interview the leader of the Satanic Temple, among many others. This deep dive into the topic became a way for her to process the overwhelming political and cultural landscape. Check out the links below to hear more from Basic Folk!https://basicfolk.com/https://www.facebook.com/basicfolkpod/https://www.instagram.com/basicfolkpod/Carolyn Kendrick Links:Each Machine on Bandcamp: https://carolynkendrick.bandcamp.com/album/each-machineWebsite: ⁠https://www.carolynkendrick.com⁠ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolynbkendrick/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolynkendrickmusic Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolynbkendrick 

Basic Folk features honest conversations with folk musicians hosted by Cindy Howes and Lizzie No. We approach interviews with warmth, humor and insightful questions. Since 2018, this podcast has dignified under the radar roots musicians by providing a platform that they might not otherwise have. You'll hear interviews from Three-time Grammy-winning guitar gods like Molly Tuttle, Haitian American folk legends like Leyla McCalla and deep feelers like songwriter John Hiatt.Basic Folk is dedicated to showcasing the best in folk, bluegrass, acoustic and americana including Black, Brown and Queer folx who have been excluded, or felt like they did not belong, in the folk world. Cindy & Lizzie each bring a unique perspective to these honest conversations with folk musicians. We are equally dedicated to repainting the broad landscape of folk music as we are to tearing down the ivory towers of the music industry. What would Bruce Springsteen do if he ever got the keys to that mansion on the hill? Let's find out together on Basic Folk.Basic Folk is pleased to be an official production of The Bluegrass Situation. Thanks for listening.Welcome to Basic Folk. Basic Folk's theme and music are composed by Dietrich StrauseFollow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/  Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews  Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

This is a special guest episode feature us on the Basic Folk Podcast, in conversation with hosts Cindy Howes and singer-songwriter Lizzie No, as well as author Kim Ruehl. We talk about all things ambition - the good and the ugly, and how we all navigate, accept, and work with it in our varied creative careers.Get more access and support this show by subscribing to our Patreon, right here.Links:Basic Folk PodcastLizzie NoCindy HowesKim RuehlMichaela AnneAaron Shafer-HaissClick here to watch this conversation on YouTube.Social Media:The Other 22 Hours InstagramThe Other 22 Hours TikTokMichaela Anne InstagramAaron Shafer-Haiss InstagramAll music written, performed, and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Become a subscribing member on our Patreon to gain more inside access including exclusive content, workshops, the chance to have your questions answered by our upcoming guests, and more.

Philly-based Native Harrow have remained largely independent - musically, professionally, and aesthetically, since their beginning, meticulously crafting and perfecting a sound that is melded together from pieces of folk, soul, and rock n' roll. On 13th September, they release new album Divided Kind. This album is the lifetime's work of two scholars of music whose individual backgrounds in the arts have forged a strict artistic discipline that exists in sharp contrast to the more traditionally laissez-faire world of rock and popular music. Pre-save Divided Kind here. Over a catalogue of six albums, Native Harrow have produced a discography of “rich, engrossing records” and “instant classics” while single-mindedly following their own artistic code, acquiescing only to the exigence of the song: each song its own world with its own rules. Their original perspective and extraordinary songwriting, combined with a completely individual approach to crafting albums and steering their career, has garnered them coverage at Uncut, Mojo, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Line of Best Fit, Paste, American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation, Holler, Rough Trade, Telegraph, The Evening Standard, The Times, Shindig, The Sun, and many more. They've shared stages with legends including the Eagles, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, and Beth Hart, as well as acts including Sierra Ferrell, The Heavy Heavy, Courtney Marie Andrews, The Cactus Blossoms, Great Lake Swimmers, Esme Patterson, and more. #Music #Interview #Albums

We're live at sea! lizzie and Cindy recorded this episode onboard Cayamo, which is a singer/songwriter cruise that's been sailing yearly since 2008 and is one of the best music festivals we've attended. AND it's another edition of FOLK DEBATE CLUB. This time it's Community vs Capitalism! Our panel features Jenny Owen Youngs (musician and co-host of Buffy the Vampire Slayer podcast, Buffering the Vampire Slayer), Amy Reitnouer Jacobs (Co-Founder / Executive Director of The Bluegrass Situation) and Natalie Dean (Director of Events at Sixthman, which presents Cayamo). We talk about both through the lens of folk music and the music industry at large. Community building amongst folk artists and fans in authentic and unique ways will help drive your passion. Organically finding community through event production, online presence or music promotion is at the core of folk culture. Community trust and cultural diversity are key in ensuring that folk music artists will thrive in our Capitalistic society. How do you build that trust among your audience in a way that allows them to build trust with each other?How do you stay true to your values while being able to pay for your life? How have musical community leaders cultivated their particular communities? Capitalism is our current reality, but it historically has not mixed well with Community. Clearly, one must be pursued vigorously more than the other! Or does it? Is there a way that these two can live side by side in folk music? If you are listening to this or reading this right now, I can make this assumption: You want to support music financially and with your heart. Music is something that sustains our lives, but it's also a profession and something people consume. Don't worry, we figure it all out in this episode of FOLK DEBATE CLUB AT SEA!Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

We had the pleasure of interviewing Mark Wilkinson over Zoom video!Australian troubadour Mark Wilkinson shares his nuanced and heartfelt new EP Golden Afternoons. Mark centers around the theme of duality and accepting your own weaknesses and strengths in life. Mark reminds himself to “Embrace the Ride,” to let go and feel alive in each moment. Produced in Nashville alongside Owen Lewis (Paris Paloma, Old Sea Brigade, Snow Patrol), the seven-song effort sees the impassioned songwriter reconcile with his insecurities while finding the confidence to take risks despite the fear of failure. The result is a dynamic release with pin-drop moments and grandiose heights.Mark explains, “The EP explores the fine line between light and dark as well as confidence and uncertainty, which are the two states I'm constantly between as an artist and songwriter. Each song touches on these themes as they float through this body of work. It's a reflection of the balancing act.”Mark is also proud to announce the Golden Afternoons 2024 Australian Tour kicking off on April 11th in Fortitude Valley, QLD. Find the full list of tour dates below and for more information visit: www.markwilkinson.com.ABOUT MARK WILKINSON:Life never follows a linear road. Rather, it often forks as we do our best to keep pace in the middle. Mark Wilkinson treads this path in his music. He acknowledges hardship and darkness, only to step into the embrace of the light. The Sydney-based singer and songwriter acutely details this journey through relatable storytelling and hummable songcraft. By considering and understanding life's extremes from the middle, he gets closer to himself on his new EP, Golden Afternoons.After building an international profile by bringing his music directly to the people as a popular busker, he has creatively leveled up with each successive release. He captivated audiences with the likes of Let The River Run [2013], Hand Picked, Vol. 2 [2015], Wasted Hours [2018], and Blue Eyed Girls [2019]. Along the way, he catapulted to #1 on the Australian Independent Charts and sold in excess of 80,000 units. Since the release of 2022's Mariposa EP, he's impressively racked up millions of streams on Spotify and garnered support from Americana Highways, The Bluegrass Situation, and The Wild Is Calling who said, “We see star power and mainstream potential in the spirit of Mumford and Sons, Mt. Joy, or the Lumineers.” Standout single “Grafton St” also found fans at SiriusXM Coffeehouse.This time around, he changed up the process. Mark decamped to Nashville, TN where he recorded what would become Golden Afternoons with producer Owen Lewis (Paris Paloma, Old Sea Brigade, Snow Patrol) in just two weeks.“It was my first time making a project in Nashville,” he reveals.“It was exciting to see the whole thing come together over a short period and work with some amazing musicians. It progresses from the previous EP—which was made in a space of the end of the Pandemic and not knowing anything about what was going to happen. This music comes out of that period with confidence, trying to trust yourself and looking forward to a brighter tomorrow.”We want to hear from you! Please email Hello@BringinitBackwards.comwww.BringinitBackwards.com#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #MarkWilkinson #NewMusic #ZoomListen & Subscribe to BiBhttps://www.bringinitbackwards.com/followFollow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! https://www.facebook.com/groups/bringinbackpod

Chris is an American singer songwriter who has opened for Neil Young, BB King, Seal, and a host of others. He recently gained additional worldwide prominence with “We Can Always Come Back to This”. His hit song aired on 3 episodes of the #1 NBC primetime series ‘THIS IS US,' then went on to #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.Other recent highlights include: a solo concert at The Kennedy Center, a duet with Sara Bareilles, a sold-out concert with Allison Russell, and performance/interviews on NPR's WORLD CAFÉ, MOUNTAIN STAGE, AMERICAN FOLK SHOW, SoCAL SOUND, and more.His 2021 album, 'AMERICAN SILENCE' garnered critical acclaim from NPR, Rolling Stone, NoDepression, SiriusXM, The Bluegrass Situation, AmericanaUK, Acoustic Guitar and others. PopMatters named ‘AMERICAN SILENCE 'THE #1 Best Folk Album of 2021 and FolkAlley named "Residential School" from AMERICAN SILENCE one of the 100 Essential Folk Songs.His highly anticipated album titled ‘LET ALL WHO WILL' was released on September 1, 2023, with critical acclaim from NPR, NoDepression, American Songwriter, Hi Times and more.

Doc Watson has been gone for more than a decade, and yet his music and legacy remain more alive and relevant than ever. And thanks to the ongoing MerleFest, which brings a wide-ranging cast from the Americana world to Doc's North Carolina stomping grounds every April, that's not going to change anytime soon. We consider the enduring impact of Doc through conversations with some of those who bear his stamp, including Gillian Welch and Jerry Douglas, in this special episode of Carolina Calling.Music featured in this episode:Doc Watson - "Sittin' on Top of the World"Doc & Merle Watson - "Jimmy's Texas Blues"Gillian Welch - "Everything Is Free"Andrew Marlin - "Erie Fidler"Doc Watson - "Tom Dooley"Doc & Merle Watson - "Sheeps In The Meadow / Stoney Fork"Doc & Merle Watson - "Poor Boy Blues"Doc Watson - "And Am I Born to Die"Doc Watson - "My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains"Jerry Douglas - "A New Day Medley"Doc Watson - "The Last Thing On My Mind"Carolina Calling is produced by The Bluegrass Situation and Come Hear NCAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel, of bluegrass/folk/Americana quartet True North, discuss their songwriting, their new album, and their multi-faceted life stories.  Kristen was named by The Bluegrass Situation as one of the “Women Who Wrote Our 2020 Soundtrack,” alongside Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile, and has won awards for her songwriting at competitions and festivals across the country.  Dan is also an award-winning songwriter and built all four of the instruments he plays on the new album.  Fear of Falling is out 11/10/23!   Craft Brewed Music® The music discovery app that streams music for serious listeners - now included free and forever "in" the Music Discovery App Pint Glass (downloaded via QR printed on glass). http://www.craftbrewedmusic.com    

Singer/Songwriter, Glenn Thomas, talks about songs from his debut LP, Reassure Me There's a Window, released in 2020 via Palace Flophouse Records to praise from Billboard, Bluegrass Situation, PopMatters, and more. Hear some of his subsequent singles that have landed on several Spotify editorial playlists and SiriusXM. 

Hailing from the foothills of the North Georgia Appalachian Mountains, Charlsey Etheridge's roots in Americana Music run deep. There she learned to sing harmony around her grandmother's piano after church on Sundays and taught herself guitar chords from her mother's old Emmylou Harris songbook. She wrote her first song at the young age of 7 while riding through the woods in her step-father's old army jeep. After moving to Nashville in 2003, Charlsey was immersed into the Nashville songwriting culture, working alongside such music industry veterans as Harley Allen and Steve Wariner. “Even though Harley is no longer with us, I am often reminded of an invaluable piece of advice he left me,” Etheridge reflects. “He said, ‘just remember... fame will come and go... but you can ALWAYS write.' As a young 23 year old, I didn't think much of that statement at the time, but through the years, his words resonate with me more and more.” In 2013, Etheridge released her first full-length studio album, appropriately titled, Memories of Mine. The critically acclaimed record intimately paid homage to the sounds of her youth, exploring the Bluegrass, Gospel, and old Folk songs her grandmother used to sing to her. Memories received stellar reviews in such bluegrass and roots music publications as No Depression and The Bluegrass Situation. The 2013 album set the stage for Charlsey's future success in Americana and Roots music. In 2021, Etheridge collaborated with legendary guitarist Jack Pearson (of Allmon Brothers Band fame) to release a previously recorded, newly mastered five-song EP, An Acoustic Christmas with Charlsey and Jack. The holiday album blends Jack's lyrical musicality and lightning-precise fingerwork and with Charlsey's butter-smooth voice in a not-to-be-forgotten compilation of holiday favorites. Now, nearly 8 years after her first studio album, Charlsey is releasing a compilation of original music, entitled Scars of Mine. She has joined forces with MuzikMafia veteran, Jerry Navarro (Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson), who is also the founder of the new Indy label, The Frequency Spot (of which Etheridge is also an active artist). Joining Charlsey in this collaboration are band members Marcus Finnie (Lady A, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal), Walt Scott, Chris Walters (Barbara Mandrell), and Pat Bergeson (Suzy Bogguss, Lyle Lovett, Chet Atkins). The project is co-produced by sought after guitarist and musician, Pat Bergeson. Scars of Mine is slated for release in 2023. www.charlseyetheridge.com © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what's left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse) Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY Production Sound Design: Keith Stark Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy. Website: If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to: musicpodcast@mail.com If you're interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we'll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music's name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Productions LLC), and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. Copyright © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions, LLC, All rights reserved.  

Basic Folk is thrilled to interview The Bluegrass Situation's July 2023 Artist of the Month: Molly Tuttle! Quickly becoming The Bluegrass American Idol, Molly Tuttle's new album City of Gold is hot off the heels of her Grammy-award winning 2022 record Crooked Tree, which also got her a nomination in one of the coveted "Big Four" categories: Best New Artist. Aaand we know that WE ALL have had eyes on Molly for years, BUT since she's fully embraced the bluegrass genre on these last new albums, Best New Artist makes a lot of sense. Bluegrass was the music she grew up with in Palo Alto, CA with her guitar-teacher father helping her soak in the vibrant scene. She's also learning how to take control of the bluegrass narrative by telling her story and sharing her perspective through her new songs.That rings so true with the new record, City of Gold, co-produced by Tuttle and Dobro-master Jerry Douglas (of Alison Kraus & Union Station fame), mostly co-written with her partner Ketch Secor (of Old Crow Medicine Show) and featuring her crack backing band: Golden Highway. She's writing bluegrass songs that are fun and insightful at the same time. We get a bluegrass version of Alice in Wonderland, the story of a woman fighting for her bodily autonomy and not to mention that time she married Dave Matthews on a road trip (LOL J/K, but that is a real new song with the real Dave). She digs into her new album as well as finding her own way in the patriarchal world of Bluegrass and leveling up about her alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease, causing hair loss. Molly Tuttle is a great hang, an inspiration for us all and has made a fabulous new album, City of Gold. LYLAS, Molly!Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknewsHelp produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Arwen Lewis welcomes very special guest music artist Katie Cole! Throughout Katie Cole's journey from a working-class neighborhood in Melbourne, to her current spot as a musician in the Smashing Pumpkins recent tour, playing to more than 800,000 people along with other breakout opportunities opening for Glen Campbell and a recording with Kris Kristofferson. Her music features rootsy instrumentation, weaving Americana moodiness with Cole's own brand of soaring melodies. Working with the Smashing Pumpkins has afforded her a great opportunity to create BGV arrangements for the newly released “ATUM” album, a 33-song rock opera. Recently she has been selected to perform at Namm, the Folk Alliance conference, and an exclusive Spotlight showcase at SXSW hosted by Bluegrass Situation and Yamaha Guitars. Writing, Recording, Touring, and in the Studio, Katie Cole is a force to be reckoned with “Rivers & Roads” is out now. Katie can be seen touring North America this Summer with The Smashing Pumpkins.

Rissi Palmer and Miko Marks have been laying the foundation for country musicians and fans who are Black for almost 20 years. Back in the early 2000's both women experienced the trials and tribulations of being Black women in country. Despite their success and large growing fanbase, both were separately discouraged by the ceilings and roadblocks they encountered from the white-dominated industry. Even though they nearly quit music, they discovered a deep and meaningful ally and friend in each other. Now, both are back in the spotlight in a different era that has seen a rise of Black musicians and The Black Opry in Nashville. Recently, Rissi and Miko have been touring together and we got them both on to talk about their parallel experiences, friendship and what they've been up to recently. It was a sincere honor and a blast to speak with these inspiring women.This month The Bluegrass Situation is highlighting The Black Opry as their artist of the month. Basic Folk, a part of The Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network, is proud to present this episode in collaboration with our BGS motherhost. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknewsHelp produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The singer, guitarist, and songwriter Ruthie Foster recently released her ninth studio album, called Healing Time, and it is a rich musical stew with flavors from gospel, soul, folk, and of course, the blues. Growing up in Texas, Foster was surrounded by southern blues and gospel, and she also grooves toward  Motown-influenced soul and R&B, as she continues to avoid categorization, despite having earned multiple Blues Awards. “You can't put me in a box, and I think that says a lot about not just who I am, but who we all are,” as she was quoted on Bluegrass Situation. She's also been an enthusiastic collaborator with the Allman Brothers, the Blind Boys of Alabama, pedal steel master Robert Randolph, and others. Ruthie Foster and her longtime bandmates play some of their feel-good and hopeful blues in-studio.   Set list: "Healing Time", "Feels Like Freedom", "Phenomenal Woman" Watch "Healing Time": Watch "Feels Like Freedom": Watch "Phenomenal Woman":

People the world over recognize this kind of talent. Beth Chrisman has captivated audiences on stages everywhere, from performances on Mountain Stage and A Prairie Home Companion, to the International Bluegrass Music Association, and many new fans in Angers, France and Toronto as an artist with Project ATX6. Bluegrass Situation writer Devon Leger sums it […]

In this episode of “The Journey of My Mother's Son” podcast, I sit down to talk with Mike McKenna, Jr. Singer-songwriter Mike McKenna Jr. has become a rising star on the Canadian music scene; with a raspy, soulful voice, his warm indie folk and Americana tones, and songs laden with captivating storytelling. Born in Glace Bay and raised along the Mira River, Mike's songwriting aesthetic points heavily to his roots growing up in small-town industrial Cape Breton. Over the course of 3 studio albums, he's brought us the nostalgia of his home through carefully chosen narrative, poetry, protest, and true stories about life and death in Nova Scotia's coastal, working-class communities. Mike's newest record At the Edge of the World (2020) continues to be met with incredible support both in Canada and internationally. In just over a year since its release, Mike's sophomore album has received a long list of awards and nominations; WINNER of the Rising Star Recording of the Year by the 2021 East Coast Music Awards (along with nominations for Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year and Fan's Choice Video of the Year), nominee for Contemporary Album of the Year by the 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards, nominee for Americana/Bluegrass Recording of the Year by the Music Nova Scotia Awards, and nominee for 2020 Album of the Year by Blues and Roots Radio. It was also listed on the Bluegrass Situation's 'Class of 2020 Playlist, Absolute Best of this Year's Roots Music Releases'. Several songs from the record have received high-profile features and recognition, including Spotify Editorial playlists Renegade Folk and Contemporary Folk, Mahogany Sessions' Acoustic Coffeehouse and Chilled Folk Vol. 3, The Bluegrass Situation's 'Mixtape', Americana UK, Exclaim!, Canadian Beats, Roots Music Canada, The East and many more. Two songs from ATEOTW finished as semi-finalists in the world's largest songwriting contest, ISC (International Songwriting Competition); the opening song and title track At the Edge of the World in 2019 and the 7th song of the album, High Ground in 2020! Produced by Victoria's Quinn Bachand (Rosier, Kittel & Co, Brishen), At the Edge of the World delivers a bigger sound than Mike's previous records, lead by his incredibly raw, confident vocals and surrounded by a beautiful mix of electric and pedal-steel guitar, electric bass, vocal harmonies, strings, piano and drums. During post-production it would then pass through the talented hands of Canada's top analog specialists; mixing engineer Jon Anderson (Andy Shauf, Rosier, Foxwarren) and Grammy-nominated mastering engineer, Juno/Polaris winner Philip Shaw Bova (Father John Misty, Feist, Bahamas). To find out more about Mike and his music, check out his website at www.mikemckennajr.com.

East-coast raised, Nashville based artist Mallory Johnson recently released her debut full length album Surprise Party. Produced by Grammy and Oscar award nominated producer Kent Wells (Dolly Parton, Paul Anka, Carly Pearce), Mallory collaborated with close friends and industry heavy hitters to co-write the album, including the likes of Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Patricia Conroy, Tenille Arts, Carli & Julie Kennedy (Twin Kennedy), Jason Blaine, and Kelly Prescott. "This album originally began as a 6-song EP with little direction, just songs I really loved or had planned on releasing as singles. I had already started pre-production with my producer Kent Wells when one evening I got together with Carli and Julie Kennedy and we started writing “Surprise Party.” Something clicked after we finished writing this song and the theme of the entire record just organically fell into place. It felt serendipitous," Mallory shares on the natural way in which the album came together. A CCMA-nominated artist, Mallory is turning heads in the country music scene with her recent Billboard-charting single (“Married”) and multiple award wins at the ECMAs and MusicNL Awards. The 2022 SiriusXM Top of the Country Semi-Finalist has received praise from the likes of CMT, The Boot, The Bluegrass Situation, and American Songwriter.

In this episode, we recap Kristen Grainger & Dan Wetzel's fun and exciting interview. In sharing their relationship success story, this powerhouse couple delighted us with many pearls of wisdom and tools to enhance the love life you have with your #1.Kristen Grainger is lead singer, chief songwriter, and co-founder, with Dan Wetzel, of Americana string band Kristen Grainger & True North. As a nationally-recognized songwriter, she wrote their first #1 single “Ghost Tattoo” in 2020. She's won and been a finalist in several of the nation's most prestigious songwriting contests, including Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Wildflower, and MerleFest., Alongside Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile, She was named one of the "Women Who Wrote Our 2020 Soundtrack" by The Bluegrass Situation. In addition to her work as a performing artist, she has served as vice president of Willamette University and written speeches for two Oregon governors, three university presidents, and an Oregon attorney general.Dan Wetzel provides direction and leadership for True North, the band he co-founded with Kristen, and produces the band's recordings. Three of their albums have hit #1 on folk radio charts. He has earned considerable recognition as a singer-songwriter and toured nationally as a solo artist after winning a national songwriting contest. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Dan has superb skills with — guitar, both flat-pick and finger-style, mandolin, and octave mandolin.  His multi-faceted musical skills and techniques help give True North's songs their driving groove. When not on stage, Dan designs and builds beautiful instruments that they and other musicians use in performance. What you will learn from this episode:How to Have a Successful and Lasting Relationship.How To Compromise And Come Together With Your Spouse.How to Share a Common Approach to Life, Work, and Achievement.#Kickasscouplespodcast #KickassCouples #RelationshipGoals  #unity #marriagetips #ritualsandpractices  #loveandmarriage   #KristenGraingerandTrueNorth Follow Kristen Grainger & Dan Wetzel: Facebook:@truenorthbandpnw@daniellouiswetzel @kristengraingerInstagram:@truenorthpnwYouTube:https://youtube.com/channel/UCuNpXI4UvrODrPiPqfIv3KAContact us: info@kickasscouplesnation.comWebsite: https://matthewphoffman.com/kickass-couples-nation/Follow us:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kickasscouplesnation Instagram: @kickasscouplesnationTikTok: @kickasscouplesnationOrder the book: "Kickass Husband: Winning at Life, Marriage, and Sex" by Matthew Hoffman Book – Kickass Husband or find it on Amazon. For access to workshops with professional therapists, keynote speakers, hot seat training and more exclusive content join our online learning community at: https://matthewphoffman.com

Welcome back to the Kickass Couples Podcast. In this episode, we introduce kickass couple Kristen Grainger & Dan Wetzel, who took their passion for music and their love for each other to form the bluegrass-leaning Americana powerhouse of terrific songwriting, lush vocals, and crazy-good instrumentalists in their band True North.Kristen Grainger is lead singer, chief songwriter, and co-founder, with Dan Wetzel, of Americana string band Kristen Grainger & True North. As a nationally-recognized songwriter, she wrote their first #1 single “Ghost Tattoo” in 2020. She's won and been a finalist in several of the nation's most prestigious songwriting contests, including Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Wildflower, and MerleFest., Alongside Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile, She was named one of the "Women Who Wrote Our 2020 Soundtrack" by The Bluegrass Situation. In addition to her work as a performing artist, she has served as vice president of Willamette University and written speeches for two Oregon governors, three university presidents, and an Oregon attorney general.Dan Wetzel provides direction and leadership for True North, the band he co-founded with Kristen, and produces the band's recordings. Three of their albums have hit #1 on folk radio charts. He has earned considerable recognition as a singer-songwriter and toured nationally as a solo artist after winning a national songwriting contest. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Dan has superb skills with — guitar, both flat-pick and finger-style, mandolin, and octave mandolin.  His multi-faceted musical skills and techniques help give True North's songs their driving groove. When not on stage, Dan designs and builds beautiful instruments that they and other musicians use in performance. What you will learn from this episode:How to Have a Successful and Lasting Relationship.How To Compromise And Come Together With Your Spouse.How to Share a Common Approach to Life, Work, and Achievement.Follow Kristen Grainger & Dan Wetzel: Facebook:@truenorthbandpnw@daniellouiswetzel @kristengraingerInstagram:@truenorthpnwYouTube:https://youtube.com/channel/UCuNpXI4UvrODrPiPqfIv3KAContact us: info@kickasscouplesnation.comWebsite: https://matthewphoffman.com/kickass-couples-nation/Follow us:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kickasscouplesnation Instagram: @kickasscouplesnationTikTok: @kickasscouplesnationOrder the book: "Kickass Husband: Winning at Life, Marriage, and Sex" by Matthew Hoffman Book – Kickass Husband or find it on Amazon. For access to workshops with professional therapists, keynote speakers, hot seat training and more exclusive content join our online learning community at: https://matthewphoffman.com

The Liner Notes Podcast with Crimson Calamity. Audiocapsules: Deep-dive interviews, reviews, and live tunes from your new favorite artists. We used to read the liner notes. Now? We Listen. Episode 10A -  AMERICANAFEST 2022 RECAPLauren and Mallory do a musical post mortem on Nashville's Best Festival of the year: AmericanafestArtists are tagged and stay tuned for a special Liner Notes' Playlist of the Artists we saw and enjoyed this year! Drink of the week: Water. lol. We rolled hard and need recovery Subscribe to this podcast AND our mailing list for a free download of our song Fool's Gold - we're a band too! Our EP WildCard is out now!Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, and Twitter - we wanna be friends with y'all! 

Welcome to Get Up in the Cool: Old Time Music with Cameron DeWhitt and Friends! This week's friend is Lindsay McCaw. We recorded this last week in Rodney, Michigan at Earful of Fiddle Music and Dance Camp. Tunes in this episode: * Silver Strand (0:30) * Silver Lake Polka (12:07) * The Lost Hornpipe (21:59) * Dallas Rag (27:54) * Little Brown Jug (36:51) * Bonus track: Hickman Rag Visit Corn Potato String Band's website for albums and tour dates: https://cornpotato.com/ Visit the website of Roochie Toochie and the Ragtime Shepherd Kings for their album and tour dates: https://roochietoochie.com/ Follow The Boblo Islanders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebobloislanders/ Visit the Flying Cardboard Theater's website: https://flyingcardboardtheater.com/ Watch Tall Poppy String Band's “The Coo Coo” music video at The Bluegrass Situation: https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/watch-tall-poppy-string-band-the-coo-coo/ Support Get Up in the Cool on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/getupinthecool Buy Get Up in the Cool merch like t-shirts, phone cases, and masks! https://get-up-in-the-cool-swag.creator-spring.com/ Sign up at https://www.pitchforkbanjo.com/ for my clawhammer instructional series! Check out Cameron's other podcast, Think Outside the Box Set: https://boxset.fireside.fm/ Check out Cameron's old time trio Tall Poppy String Band: https://www.tallpoppystringband.com/

Stephen Deusner is the author of the wonderful biography about The Drive-by Truckers called Where the Devil Don't Stay. The Truckers may be my favorite band of all time and this book captures the essence of their appeal and importance. Stephen's work regularly appears in Uncut, No Depression, Pitchfork, the Bluegrass Situation, Bandcamp Daily, American Songwriter, and many other publications.  The music you are hearing is I Wanna Hold You from Jay Gonzalez's record Back to the Hive. In addition to his work on keys and guitars in Drive-by Truckers, Jay makes beautiful solo music.  

Durham, North Carolina - a city that blossomed out of the tobacco industry and was originally fueled by manufacturing - has gone through many phases. Today its factories house performing arts centers and bougie lofts, but this place has just as long and varied a musical history going back a century or more. Then and now, it's been a center for jazz, hip-hop, Americana country-rock and most of all, Piedmont blues.Back when Durham was becoming known as the Bull City, its soundtrack was Piedmont blues as played by giants like Blind Boy Fuller, Reverend Gary Davis, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. In the 1920s and ‘30s, factory workers made up the audience for blues and other developing styles of music. Now, tech workers and college students flock to the city's many venues.It's a long way from the city's early days, but also still rife with change; battles over segregation have evolved into disputes over gentrification. But what hasn't changed is that it remains a great music town, one that draws both artists and fans alike.In this episode, we explore the phases of Durham's past, present and future with guests who call it home, like Bluegrass Hall of Famer Alice Gerrard, country singer Rissi Palmer, Hiss Golden Messenger's M.C. Taylor, Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, and more.Subscribe to Carolina Calling to follow along as we journey across the Old North State, visiting towns like Wilmington, Greensboro, Shelby, Asheville, and more. Brought to you by The Bluegrass Situation and Come Hear NCCove photo courtesy of Discover DurhamAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Known as the Gate City, Greensboro, North Carolina is a transitional town: hub of the Piedmont between the mountain high country to the west and coastal Sandhill Plains to the east, and a city defined by the people who have come, gone, and passed through over the years. As a crossroads location, it has long been a way station for many endeavors, including touring musicians - from the likes of the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix at the Greensboro Coliseum, the state's largest indoor arena, to James Brown and Otis Redding at clubs like the El Rocco on the Chitlin' Circuit. Throw in the country and string band influences from the textile mill towns in the area, and the regional style of the Piedmont blues, and you've got yourself quite the musical melting pot.  This historical mixture was not lost on one of Greensboro's own, Rhiannon Giddens - one of modern day Americana's ultimate crossover artists. A child of black and white parents, she grew up in the area hearing folk and country music, participating in music programs in local public schools, and eventually going on to study opera at Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. Once she returned to North Carolina and came under the study of fiddler Joe Thompson and the Black string band tradition, she began playing folk music and forged an artistic identity steeped in classical as well as vernacular music. In this episode of Carolina Calling, we spoke with Giddens about her background in Greensboro and how growing up mixed and immersed in various cultures, in a city so informed by its history of segregation and status as a key civil rights battleground, informed her artistic interests and endeavors, musical styles, and her mission in the music industry.    Subscribe to Carolina Calling to follow along as we journey across the Old North State, visiting towns like Durham, Wilmington, Shelby, Asheville, and more. Brought to you by The Bluegrass Situation and Come Hear NC Music featured in this episode: Rhiannon Giddens - "Black is the Color"Andrew Marlin - "Erie Fiddler"Carolina Chocolate Drops - "Cornbread and Butterbeans"The Rolling Stones - "Rocks Off"Count Basie and His Orchestra - "Honeysuckle Rose"Roy Harvey - "Blue Eyes"Blind Boy Fuller - Step It Up and GoRhiannon Giddens, Francesco Turrisi - "Avalon"Carolina Chocolate Drops - "Snowden's Jig (Genuine Negro Jig)"Barbara Lewis -"Hello Stranger"The O'Kaysions - "Girl Watcher"Joe and Odell Thompson - "Donna Got a Rambling Mind"Carolina Chocolate Drops - "Country Girl"Carolina Chocolate Drops - "Hit 'Em Up Style"Our Native Daughters - "Moon Meets the Sun"Rhiannon Giddens, Francesco Turrisi - "Si Dolce é'l Tormento" Cover image: Rhiannon Giddens by Ebru YildizAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The image of bluegrass is mountain music played and heard at high altitudes and towns like Deep Gap and remote mountain hollers across the Appalachians. But the earliest form of the music originated at lower elevations, in textile towns across the North Carolina Piedmont. As far back as the 1920s, old-time string bands like Charlie Poole's North Carolina Ramblers were playing an early form of the music in textile towns, like Gastonia, Spray, and Shelby - in Cleveland County west of Charlotte.In this second episode of Carolina Calling, we visit the small town of Shelby: a seemingly quiet place, like most small Southern towns one might pass by in their travels. Until you see the signs for the likes of the Don Gibson Theatre and the Earl Scruggs Center, you wouldn't guess that it was the town that raised two of the most influential musicians and songwriters in bluegrass and country music: Earl Scruggs, one of the most important musicians in the birth of bluegrass, whose banjo playing was so innovative that it still bears his name, “Scruggs style,” and Don Gibson, one of the greatest songwriters in the pop & country pantheon, who wrote “I Can't Stop Loving You,” “Sweet Dreams,” and other songs you know by heart. For both Don Gibson and Earl Scruggs, Shelby is where it all began.Subscribe to Carolina Calling to follow along as we journey across the Old North State, visiting towns like Greensboro, Durham, Wilmington, Asheville, and more.Brought to you by The Bluegrass Situation and Come Hear NCMusic featured in this episode:Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers - "Take a Drink On Me"Flatt & Scruggs - "Ground Speed"Don Gibson - "I Can't Stop Loving You"Andrew Marlin - "Erie Fiddler" (Carolina Calling Theme)Hedy West - "Cotton Mill Girl"Blind Boy Fuller - "Rag Mama, Rag"Don Gibson - "Sea Of Heartbreak"Patsy Cline - "Sweet Dreams "Ray Charles - "I Can't Stop Loving You"Ronnie Milsap - "(I'd Be) A Legend In My Time"Elvis Presley - "Crying In The Chapel"Hank Snow - "Oh Lonesome Me"Don Gibson - "Sweet Dreams"Don Gibson - "Oh Lonesome Me"Chet Atkins - "Oh Lonesome Me"Johnny Cash - "Oh, Lonesome Me"The Everly Brothers - "Oh Lonesome Me"Neil Young - "Oh Lonesome Me"Flatt & Scruggs - "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"Bill Preston - "Holy, Holy, Holy"Flat & Scruggs - "We'll Meet Again Sweetheart"Snuffy Jenkins - "Careless Love"Bill Monroe - "Uncle Pen"Bill Monroe - "It's Mighty Dark to Travel"The Earl Scruggs Revue - "I Shall Be Released"The Band - "I Shall Be Released"Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Will The Circle Be Unbroken"The Country Gentlemen - "Fox on the Run"Sonny Terry - "Whoopin' The Blues"Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee - "Born With The Blues (Live)"Nina Simone - "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free"Cover image courtesy of the Don Gibson TheatreAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Asheville, North Carolina's history as a music center goes back to the 1920s and string-band troubadours like Lesley Riddle and Bascom Lamar Lunsford, and country-music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers. But there's always been a lot more to this town than acoustic music and scenic mountain views. From the experimental Black Mountain College that drew a range of minds as diverse as German artist Josef Albers, composer John Cage, and Albert Einstein, Asheville was also the spiritual home for electronic-music pioneer Bob Moog, who invented the Moog synthesizer first popularized by experimental bands like Kraftwerk to giant disco hits like Donna Summer's “I Feel Love.”It's also a town where busking culture ensures that music flows from every street corner, and it's the adopted hometown of many modern musicians in a multitude of genres, including Pokey LaFarge, who spent his early career busking in Asheville, and Moses Sumney, a musician who's sonic palette is so broad, it's all but unclassifiable.In this premiere episode of Carolina Calling, we wonder and explore what elements of this place of creative retreat have drawn individualist artists for over a century? Perhaps it's the fact that whatever your style, Asheville is a place that allows creativity to grow and thrive.Subscribe to Carolina Calling to follow along as we journey across the Old North State, visiting towns like Shelby, Greensboro, Durham, Wilmington, and more.Brought to you by The Bluegrass Situation and Come Hear NCMusic used in this episode:Bascom Lamar Lunsford - “Dry Bones”Jimmie Rodgers - “My Carolina Sunshine Girl” Kraftwerk - “Autobahn”Donna Summer - “I Feel Love” Pokey LaFarge - “End Of My Rope”Moses Sumney - “Virile” Andrew Marlin - “Erie Fiddler (Carolina Calling Theme)”Moses Sumney - “Me In 20 Years”Steep Canyon Rangers - "Honey on My Tongue”Béla Bartók - "Romanian Folk Dances”New Order - “Blue Monday”Quindar - “Twin-Pole Sunshade for Rusty Schweickart”Pokey LaFarge - “Fine To Me” Bobby Hicks Feat. Del McCoury - "We're Steppin' Out”Squirrel Nut Zippers - “Put A Lid On It”Jimmie Rodgers - "Daddy and Home”Lesley Riddle - “John Henry” Steep Canyon Rangers - “Graveyard Fields”Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Join David Menconi - host, writer, and longtime North Carolinian - for Carolina Calling: a podcast exploring the history of North Carolina, as told through its music and the musicians who made it. From Asheville to Wilmington, we'll be diving into the cities and regions that have cultivated decades of talent as diverse as Blind Boy Fuller to the Steep Canyon Rangers, from Bob Moog to James Taylor and Rhiannon Giddens.Brought to you by Come Hear North Carolina and The Bluegrass Situation.Theme Music: "Erie Fiddler" - Andrew MarlinAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

When we asked Chris Pierce to join us on the podcast, we already knew he was an amazing musician.  His music has been nominated for awards, he's been featured on NPR and the TV show This is Us; you only have to listen to him sing a few bars to really appreciate the depth of his craft.  What we did not know, but will quickly be obvious when you're just a few minutes into the episode, is what an amazing human he is.  Chris has not had a super easy life - among other things, he has been falsely accused and arrested, he has been beaten, he has witnessed a cross burning in his yard as a child, and perhaps most devastating to a budding musician, he lost his hearing at a young age (since partially corrected through surgery).  And yet, his enduring belief is that challenging times lead us to something even more beautiful than we could have imagined, and staying open to vulnerability leads to growth.  Chris believes love translates like nothing else; when confronted by an angry attendee at a recent concert, he responded in a calm, respectful way.  When we both marveled at the way he handled the situation, Chris told us: love is the biggest weapon we have.   It is also a verb: we love Chris Pierce. Listen in - we think you will love him too.   CHRIS PIERCE gained national prominence with “We Can Always Come Back To This”. His hit co-write aired on 3 episodes of the #1 NBC primetime series ‘THIS IS US', then went on to peak at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, and #12 on iTunes Top 100. Pierce has done worldwide headlining tours and has performed on stage with: Seal, Cold War Kids, Al Green, Rodrigo y Gabriella, Jill Scott, Toots & the Maytals, Sara Bareilles, Buddy Guy, Keb'Mo', Blind Boys of Alabama, B.B. King, Aaron Neville and others. Pierce's 2020 collaboration in Americana duo WAR & PIERCE yielded the hit single “AMEN” which was featured on NPR's WORLD CAFE and aired on 200+ AAA / NonComm stations, then racked up 2M spins on Spotify.  He also is part of a new project called LEON CREEK who will be releasing their first album in the fall of 2021.  Chris Pierce recently performed at NPR's Mountain Stage which broadcast on 300 NPR Stations.  His 2021 album, 'AMERICAN SILENCE' has garnered massive critical acclaim from NPR, SiriusXM, The Bluegrass Situation, NoDepression, Rolling Stone Country, AmericanaUK and more. www.chrispierce.com

This week, we bring you a half-century-spanning talk with the Grammy-winning ringleader of one of American roots music's most durable and iconic bands, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel. The episode is a celebration of their fifty years of diligent song collecting, Western swing camaraderie and epic genre-spanning collaboration - and features first listens of their new record Half a Hundred Years which drops on October 1. The record covers old classics and tells new stories, with spritely cameos from fellow Texans Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson. Aligning behind Benson's commanding, deep voice and impeccable song-historian's taste, Ray has managed what few bandleaders in country music - or any genre - have: keeping a talented rotating band of mostly-acoustic players together from 1972 on, with little break from the road. Willie Nelson and others have long championed their work, and indeed the band had fans in even higher places: on September 11, 2001, the group was set to perform at The White House. Asleep at the Wheel's story is really one of perseverance and transformation. How did a Jewish kid from the the Philly suburbs end up as a Texas cowboy music icon who toured with Bob Dylan and George Strait (just ask Bob about changing identities), wrote songs and acted in movies with Dolly Parton and Blondie, and became the foremost interpreter of the rollicking music of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys? Only in America, you could say - but Ray would just tell you that he loves the music deep in his bones, and it's what he wakes up every day to create and save. One of the most forward-thinking things Ray did from the very beginning was share the mic with a myriad of talented female vocalists, which maybe confused some radio programmers (who is leader of this outfit?) but made the road shows eternally entertaining and unique. That tradition continues. Also featured on the new record are lovely collabs with Lee Ann Womack and Emmylou Harris.

Hi everyone.This is the first in a new series of episodes called 'Food for Thought'. Each one introduces an interesting (and short!) thought or idea about music that got me thinking about how I play and what music means to me.  I'm sharing them in the hope you'll find them interesting and come and join the conversation.The first is the result of reading an interview with Tony Rice on the Bluegrass Situation website, about how he found his style by trying (and failing!) to sound like Clarence White. You can read the full interview on thebluegrasssituation.com.It made me think about my playing, as you'll hear in the episode. I'd love it if you listen then head over to Bluegrass Jamalong's Instagram or Facebook to tell us what you think.Happy picking!Matt

This week, we talk to Brooklyn-based bandleader and jazz-roots singer extraordinaire Sammy Rae, who for the last four years has barnstormed the country with her kinetic octet The Friends. Look, when you're young and inspired, you drop out of college, you're waiting tables and you think about starting a jazzy pop band - most people (as well as common sense and basic economics) tell you to start small. Get a few like-minded musicians in a room, work and work your best songs, try packing out a few local shows, put some radio-ready singles on the internet, do a music video or two. See what happens. But Sammy Rae does her own thing and has done pretty much the opposite. Much like your host of this fine program (who went against all advice and began Dustbowl Revival as an 8-10 piece genre-bending New Orleans-string band mashup in 2008), Sammy has harnessed the open-minded, countercultural energy of Broadway musicals, the slinky funk-pop of the 1970s AM radio and her own rapid-fire poetic style to create a massive sound that could only be made with three singers, two saxophones, and a fearless, seasoned rhythm section. And they all are friends who don't just treat this as a temporary weekend gig. Too much too soon? Well, ask the packed houses up and down the Eastern Seaboard if they care about playing it safe. Sammy knows the road ahead for The Friends won't be easy - but so far, the response from listeners has been undeniable. Starting at tiny supportive clubs in New York like Rockwood Music Hall and graduating to the biggest rooms in one of the hardest towns to impress, the group struck a nerve with their debut EP The Good Life in 2018 - with the standout jazzy experiment “Kick It To Me” gaining nearly ten million steams and counting. "Don't record songs over four minutes long," they keep telling us. "No one will pay attention!" Yet their most listened to track clocks in at nearly seven minutes. What's the lesson here? For Sammy it's finally learning to trust her instincts and be herself. Their upbeat EP Let's Throw A Party dropped in 2021 - and make sure you stick around to the end of the talk to hear how Sammy's experience as a queer teenager in a Connecticut girl's Catholic school informed their new track “Jackie Onassis.”

This week, we go on a deep dive with Madi Diaz, a sought-after Nashville-based songwriter who may have dropped among the most devastating and powerful break-up albums of the decade with her newest LP History Of A Feeling, a searing debut on Anti- Records. If you've made it to the doldrums of your mid-thirties, you've probably had your heart broken once or thrice. Diaz is no exception, except unlike the rest of us who may try and forget all about those lost love affairs, Diaz does the opposite. She chronicles the destruction of her last relationship with a craftsman's precision, creating a series of unvarnished, seething, diaristic songs about an ongoing and fractured grieving process. Diaz opens with the gut-puncher “Rage,” which says a lot even if it's under two minutes long. Is it ok to not be ready to move on? To hate that you HAVE to move on? Soon after she's “Crying In Public” and immediately after that she's baring her teeth in the standout acoustic single “Resentment” - which was initially covered by moody pop hero Kesha. Does it get brighter from there? Not exactly, but it's better that way. It could be way off base, but maybe History Of A Feeling is our updated Jagged Little Pill without the pop artifice. Not that Diaz sings at all like Alanis, but a similar hope for heartbroken catharsis weaves its way throughout. Working with Big Thief collaborator and soulful producer Andrew Sarlo surely helped capture the intimate vibe, with certain songs barely needing more than a guitar and her direct, cutting voice. Without an army of synths or the armor of an orchestra behind her, or the security blanket of a band smoothing out the edges, the rawness of the emotion in each song sings out louder. Diaz, who grew up in Lancaster, PA with a dad who had his own Frank Zappa cover band (she mentioned that she indeed had her own teen version) and then later dropped out of Berklee College of Music to hit the road with her own work, has never been afraid to pick at the shrapnel in some of her deepest wounds to create songs that leave their own mark after you listen. She's put out more atmospheric pop-forward work - like We Threw Our Hearts In The Fire (2012) and Phantom (2017) - for a decade, but this quieter, more personal record feels like she's finally found her sound. Pulling no punches, Diaz bravely includes songs like “Man In Me” which hints that she lost a long-time partner who also then transitioned. In a way, it was almost a double-loss that left her feeling confused and guilty for feeling angry at all. And yet - when we reach the end of History Of A Feeling, the feeling we get isn't bitterness or rage any longer - it may be that most elusive of the grieving steps: acceptance. And maybe even forgiveness.

Jim and Mike interview FANTASY recording artist ANDREA VON KAMPEN (Lincoln Nebraska Singer/Songwriter)   ABOUT ANDREA VON KAMPEN Andrea von Kampen is a folk singer-songwriter based in Lincoln, Nebraska, whose effortless vocal delivery has been praised by Hear Nebraska as “soulful and worn-in.” With the successful release of two EP's, Another Day (2015) and Desdemona (2016), a Christmas EP (2016), an Audiotree Live album (2017), and her debut full-length album Old Country (2019), Andrea has quickly established herself in the recording studio and on the road. She has shared the stage with artists such as Tall Heights, Ira Wolf, Dead Man Winter, The Brother Brothers, Dead Horses, Darling West and many more. Old Country, Andrea von Kampen's debut full-length album, was released on February 8th, 2019. The album was recorded and mastered in Nebraska and features exclusively Nebraska-based musicians. Inspiration for Andrea's songs often come from literature, art, and nature; in particular the literature and nature of Nebraska and the Midwest. The title track, Old Country, is based on the book “My Ántonia” by Nebraska author Willa Cather. Her single, Portland, received notable attention including features on The Bluegrass Situation, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. Additionally, Amazon Music Canada featured Portland in their ‘Top Songs of 2018' playlist. In a review of Portland, Ear To The Ground Music said, “It's not so much about where you're going, but that you want to get away. That emotion of “idealistic escapism” is one that listeners can all connect with, whether or not we want to go to Oregon or somewhere else. The inflection in von Kampen's vocal has the conviction of a gospel track and the sincerity of a Dylan folk ballad.”   Andrea von Kampen first appeared in the public eye with her submission of Let Me Down Easy into the 2016 Tiny Desk Contest. Within 24 hours of submission, NPR Music, All Songs Considered tweeted her video as the featured artist of the day, saying “we were completely blown away.” Ultimately, Andrea finished the competition as a top ten finalist, which lead to increased popularity of her EP, Another Day, specifically her song Trainsong. Since then, her EPs have amassed millions of streams on Spotify and continue to grow.   Her newest album "THAT SPELL" was released on August 6, 2021 You can visit andrea's website to order the album and other cool merchandise at: www.andreavonkampen.com   COPYRIGHT CLAIM : the songs TAKE BACK THY GIFT, TETON, JULIA and TRAINSONG used with permission from : Andrea Von Kampen, Jimmy Rhine, Concord & Fantasy Recordings   You can find our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Podbean, Iheart Radio, Pandora and anywhere you listen to podcasts.  We also have a YouTube channel with some video from our interviews.  Turn of the TV, and turn up the MUSIC!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Pine Hill Haints over Zoom video! Alabama's roots rebels, the Pine Hill Haints, have shared The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy, their debut for Muscle Shoals-based “scrappy” (Billboard) indie label Single Lock Records. Over fifteen tracks filled with “sizzling electric guitar riffs” and “sage advice” via their storytelling lyrics (Rolling Stone), the Haints take listeners on a journey through tracks that veer into swampy blues, Sun Records-style country and rockabilly, and cajun-flavored, accordion-driven pop, all mixed with “the right amount of weird” (Alabama Life & Culture). Born out of skateboarding culture and formed in a cemetery, the Haints have spent 25 years on the road resurrecting all kinds of music, including traditional folk, blues, and gospel, that has passed out of the mainstream in a style they call “Alabama Ghost Country.” The new album is just that - fiery rockabilly-meets-Irish-jig rave-ups and catchy squeezebox pop tunes filled with pounding tom-toms and energetic fiddles, mixed with tributes to the legendary Satchel Paige, John Henry, and Billy The Kid while lead singer Jamie Barrier's strong tenor voice rings familiar and friendly, with deep echoes of everything from John Lee Hooker to Buddy Holly to Johnny Cash.In addition to being included in Rolling Stone's roundup of best new country songs, the Haints have developed a cult following from their quarter century on the road (check them out in action in the video for their single “Back To Alabama” HERE), playing with a sense of abandon that comes from thousands of gigs behind them - taking place anywhere from college apartments to major festivals. American Songwriter noted in praise of these purveyors of Southern music tradition, “The Pine Hill Haints are not so much interested in popularizing non-mainstream folk as they are adamant in dwelling in their ancestral influences to endure a long line of stylistic storytelling.”True to their home-state roots, the Haints have played all 20 years of the 280 Boogie Festival at the infamous and beloved Standard Deluxe in Waverly, Alabama. Lead singer Jamie Barrier told Bluegrass Situation of the festival: "If playing at Standard Deluxe is what 'making it' is, that's all I want. Anything beyond that is extra." Check out the Haints' performance of “Satchel Paige Blues,” honoring the history-making Mobile-born pitcher, for this year's 20th anniversary of the 280 Boogie Festival HERE.The Pine Hill Haints are Jamie Barrier (lead vocals, guitar), Kat Barrier (mandolin, washboard, saw), Stevie LaBlanc (washtub, banjo), Brian Borden (snare drum) and Justin Ward (accordion, trombone).We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com.www.BringinitBackwards.com#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #ThePineHillHaints #PineHillHaints #TheHaints #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetworkListen & Subscribe to BiBFollow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! 

This week, we journey to northern Louisiana for a unique conversation with sprightly blues and southern rock singer Robert Finely, who began making music in his cotton-growing family in the 1960s, and has been rediscovered and empowered through his remarkable partnership with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. His funky and cheeky comeback album Goin' Platinum (which sounds like a lost Motown gem) came in 2017 and in May of 2021, he celebrated the release of the deeply personal follow-up Sharecropper's Son. As you can hear in the taping, even in his late sixties, Finley is a playful force to be reckoned with and isn't shy about sharing how faith and music have gotten him through decades of tragedy and hardship. In 2019 he even reached the semi-finals of America's Got Talent. Growing up in a religious home where blues and soul music was rarely allowed to be heard, Finley worked as an army helicopter repairman and professional carpenter for many years, often keeping his keen musical ideas to himself. He may now be legally blind, but the always-sharp dressed Finley (he loves a snakeskin jacket) was spotted busking on the streets of Helena, Arkansas and the blues-obsessed Auerbach was smitten with Finley's raw, swampy Jimi Hendrix meets James Brown tone. Both of his critically-applauded releases subsequently came out on Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound, which has become a home for previously unheralded black artists like Yola, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, and Leo Bud Welch.

This week, we place a call into Woodstock, NY, where we speak to a respected singer, songwriter, sometimes drummer and beloved daughter of Levon Helm of The Band: Amy Helm. Growing up in the home of two working performers (her mother is singer Libby Titus, who wrote songs covered by Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt) wasn't always the easiest for the introspective Helm, but it gave her a fertile proving ground to begin her exploration in creating her own soaring songs in the folk, blues and soul traditions. She waited until she was forty-four to release her acclaimed first solo record Didn't It Rain, with her father lending his signature earthy drums on several tracks – and this year, she teamed up with multi-instrumentalist and producer Josh Kaufman (Taylor Swift, Bonny Light Horseman) to create What The Flood Leaves Behind, her most emotive and lushly-realized project yet. With her dogs often joining the conversation from her upstate home, Amy dives into her early years trying her hand at singing in New York City cafes, having folks walk out of her folk fest shows because her band was too loud, founding the band Ollabelle, joining her stepdad Donald Fagen's group Steely Dan onstage, backing up legends like Stax soul artist William Bell and finally reconnecting with her dad in her mid-thirties as he began his late life renaissance, hosting his epic Americana throwdowns called “The Midnight Rambles.” It was being a member of that crack “ramble band” that gave Amy the final push to pursue her own lead voice. While Levon famously struggled with heroine addiction and the foibles of post-Bob Dylan and The Band fame fallout, it was when he got clean and took Amy under his wing that both of their stars began to rise again. You can hear Amy singing on his gorgeous return in 2017's Dirt Farmer. Becoming more ambitious, Amy laid down her upbeat rock-n-soul-tinged second album with producer Joe Henry in LA with notable players like Doyle Bramhall II, Tyler Chester, and a vocal choir of Allison Russell, JT Nero (Birds of Chicago) and Adam Minkoff. This Too Shall Light was released in 2018 on Yep Roc Records and Amy began to be recognized as one of the most powerful singers touring the Americana circuit. Her newest record was recorded at her spiritual home, Levon Helm Studios, where each ramble still takes place on the weekends. During the pandemic, Helm had a unique idea to keep her creative muscles strong, even when live music gatherings were not technically allowed in public. She began setting up “curbside concerts” for her friends and any curious fans who missed her songs, touring around Woodstock with her guitar, bringing a little joy to her shut-in listeners during New York's darkest hours. Stick around to the end of the episode to hear her introduce the spiritual opening track of What The Flood Leaves Behind, “Verse 23.”

This week, a rare career-spanning interview with the ever-curious frontman, activist and rock hitmaker John McCrea, who founded one of the most beloved and yet misunderstood bands of our time - CAKE - in Sacramento in 1992. Despite putting out unlikely ubiquitous radio hits like “The Distance,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” and “Never There” featuring the signature combo of dry speak-singing, spaghetti western brass, muscular guitars and spacey synths, and becoming one of the best selling groups of the 1990s and early 2000s, John and an ever-changing group of collaborators have always operated more like a DIY garage band. They produce and record everything themselves and exist outside the music industry spotlight - only putting out their oddball genre-defying work when it's ready. While you may have forgotten some of their danceable favorites that burned through college and indie-rock radio - with further study, songs like “No Phone” which tackled our toxic relationship to technology (even before smartphones came out) now seem both deeply of, and way ahead of, their time. Critics were often confused by their lyrically dense, subversively political records like 'Motorcade Of Generosity,' 'Prolonging The Magic' and 'Comfort Eagle' - and with their obtuse album art, strange homemade videos, McCrea's conspiratorial slam-poet frontman delivery and his shaggy Sacramento-based bandmates, it was all quite atypical in the era of shiny studio-created MTV and radio-ready rock. And yet their legions of fans, including our host Z. Lupetin, ate it up and continue to anxiously wait for what's coming next from the group. After a decade of home recording and environmental activism (with a recent emphasis on combating deforestation) McCrea hints that a new album and a return to playing may finally be in the works.

Thanks to everyone who listened to Season 2! Harmonics Podcast is taking a little break for the Summer, but we'll be back soon with new episodes for Season 3!

Michael tells the story of the mulleted Kentucky country singer's 1992 crossover smash, with special guest Amy Reitnouer Jacobs of The Bluegrass Situation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we bring you a deep dive with the silky-voiced southern gothic-folk songwriter Lera Lynn, who has recently gained notoriety for her mysterious and lushly cinematic sound, as heard in her haunting 2020 LP On My Own (on which she writes, produces and plays every instrument on each song) and in the music of HBO's True Detective (produced by T-Bone Burnett), on which she also became a cast member in Season 2. We've all had our dark moments during this last year. For Lynn it was figuring out how to put out a new album, which she had painstakingly make herself in isolation (see Springsteen's moody and homemade Nebraska,) right as her first baby was on the way without any family being allowed to help shoulder the load. At times the burden seemed too much to bear - but what emerged was a touchstone set of songs that unintentionally seemed to pinpoint the exact center of our collective dread - and the flickers of hope of a new beginning that can come out of a such a societal time-quake. Searching reverby rock standouts like "Are You Listening?" seem to be calling out into a void that we never knew we had, perhaps reminding us again how much we need human touch, friendship, family warmth and true soul connection. While we are currently emerging into the light-filled end of this Covid-19 tunnel, it's important to note that this interview was conducted back in 2020 in the thick of the harshest lockdowns (the taping footage was lost, then finally found) and songs like “Isolation” hit the exact pain point for many artists like Lynn who once thrived on bringing live-music's unique sweaty joy to strangers in a new town each night. Lynn's rising calls of “Is anybody out there?” ring like echoes from a very recent bad dream - a dream of course that is still very much a painful reality in many parts of the world. Coming out of the fertile roots rock scene of Athens, GA, Lynn's earlier records like the intimate and country-inflected Have You Met Lera Lynn? from 2011 and its pop-forward follow ups The Avenues (2016) and Resistor (2017) focused mostly on her endlessly warm and rich voice - and the fury and frustration she was processing growing up an only child of an alcoholic dad. But it was her guest-star-laden LP Plays Well With Others (2018) where Lynn began to realize the extent of her gifted arranging and vocal powers together. Teaming up with a murderer's row of Americana artists like Shovels & Rope, John Paul White of the Civil Wars and Rodney Crowell, it may be the most high-spirited of her works - like a basement party jam session going off the rails in all the best ways. The tough year at home did make Lynn come to appreciate how far she's come since those early days - maybe it took a decade of hard-won acceptance and practice to be able to create On My Own without any help from other musicians or producers - and the result is a wonder to hear. Now if she could just play it for an actual live audience. Stick around to the end of the episode to hear her introduce her favorite broken-romance number "So Far."

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Beth slows things down and checks in with a dear friend: Harmonics Executive Producer and BGS Co-Founder Amy Reitnouer Jacobs! While the pandemic is beginning to subside here in the U.S. (and what a wonderful thing it is) let's be real: it's a weird time right now. Folks are getting vaccinated (within so many different timelines, might we add) and some are immediately diving head-first back into society and socialization - six feet be damned. With everyone at varying levels of anxiety - and comfortable speeds of fully returning to the ways of the "before" times - and after a year-plus of having our mental health hit at from every possible direction, we think it's important to take this month of May - Mental Health Awareness Month - to give ourselves and others some grace and set some boundaries. Our mental health is worth it. Links Mentioned: On "Languishing" (The New York Times) (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html) Team Yes vs. Team Couch (The Atlantic) (https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/04/post-pandemic-socializers-two-types/618678/) Do We Even Know How To Socialize Anymore? (NPR Life Kit) (https://www.npr.org/2021/04/04/983855924/do-we-even-know-how-to-socialize-anymore) You can find resources for Mental Health Month here. (https://www.mhanational.org/mental-health-month)

This week on The Show On The Road, we bring you a truly inspiring talk with the activist, author, and free-spirited feminist folk icon Ani DiFranco, who just released her lushly orchestrated twenty-second album: Revolutionary Love. Many things have been said about the music Ani DiFranco has created for the last thirty years since she burst on the scene with her fiery self-titled LP in 1990. With her shaved head on the cover, fearlessly bisexual love songs, dexterous guitar work and hold-no-prisoners lyrics sparing no one from her poetic magnifying glass, DiFranco's persona became almost synonymous with a rejuvenated women's movement that blossomed in the late-1990's Lilith Fair moment. And yet she was always a bit more committed to the cause than some of her more pop-leaning contemporaries, who faded away as soon as their hits subsided. Framing herself somewhere between the rebellious folk-singing teacher Pete Seeger and the gender-fluid show-stopping rock spirit in Prince, (who she recorded with after he became a fan,) DiFranco was always just as passionate about raising awareness for abortion rights, ensuring safety for gay and trans youth and bringing music to prisons, as she was promoting her latest musical experiment. She began playing publicly around age ten, and as a nineteen-year-old runaway from Buffalo, NY, she started her own label, Righteous Babe Records, that allowed her to operate free of corporate (and overwhelmingly male) oversight. Indeed, despite gaining a wide international fanbase she has released every album herself since the beginning — as well as championing genre-defying songwriters like Andrew Bird, Anaïs Mitchell, Utah Philips, and others. It was DiFranco's encouragement that helped Mitchell's opus Hadestown become a Tony-winning Broadway smash. DiFranco may have been deemed a bit too left-of-center for pop radio, but her beloved 1997 live record Living In Clip went gold. Let's get something out of the way real quick: was this male podcast host initially a bit intimidated to dive into her encyclopedic album collection after admiring her work from afar and believing the songs were not meant for his ears? Indeed. I grew up with girlfriends and fellow musicians who rocked Ani's Righteous Babe pins and patches on their jean jackets like they were religious ornaments. What I found during this mind-bending conversation, and after listening to her polished and mystical newest record especially, was that DiFranco has never tried to push away people that don't look or talk like her — or tried to mock or belittle conservative movements she doesn't agree with or understand. There is a deep kindness and empathy in her songwriting that I never expected and in her 2019 autobiography, No Walls And The Recurring Dream, she acknowledges how lonely and exhausting it can be trying to fight against a societal tide that doesn't want to stop and give you space to be who you are. What became increasingly clear during our conversation was that DiFranco wants to make music for everyone. She prides herself on her quirky, multi-generational fanbase — with grandparents and kids, dads and sons, daughters and aunties alike singing along to favorites like “Both Hands,” “Untouchable Face,” and covers like Woody Guthrie's “This Land Is Your Land” at packed shows across three continents. I had my own goosebumps-inducing moment singing with Ani that I'll never forget. The oldest folk festival in America, The Ann Arbor Folk Fest, once put me on stage to sing harmony on “Angel From Montgomery” with DiFranco at the acoustically perfect Hill Auditorium. I attended the University Of Michigan years earlier and I saw John Prine sing that classic in that same room, and it felt like a full circle moment. Seeing how DiFranco transfixed the crowd that night, and how the women songwriters and musicians offstage especially watched her with such admiration made me want to see what her music — which I had never fully listened to — was all about. If you have a chance, listen to Revolutionary Love start to finish, and stick around to the end of the episode to hear DiFranco read lyrics as poetry.

This week, we feature a conversation with one of the rising stars in our current roots music renaissance: a gifted Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter who grew up in the Pentecostal church and creates a fiery gospel backdrop behind his tender then window-rattling rock-n-roll voice: Parker Millsap. When you've been touring hundreds of days a year down southern backroads from Tulsa to Tallahassee since you were a teenager like Parker has, you know a thing or two about how to keep your head when things go off the rails. But it was the forced year-long break during the pandemic that really made him stop and accept how far he's come from his intense, anxious, folky debut Palisade in 2012 (he released it when he was 19), to his soulful self-assured new record Be Here Instead. What's clear is we see a relentlessly hard-working performer who no longer has to chase the next gig for gas money, or has to worry if the world will accept his work. Holed up outside of Nashville with his wife, Millsap let the songs do the talking.

This week, a special rebroadcast of our conversation with the three-time Grammy award winning roots n roll poet and rogue founding father of the thriving Americana movement - Steve Earle. The conversation was recorded outside Romp Fest in Kentucky on Earle's tour bus. Remember when we could do stuff like that? After nearly four decades of relentless recording, international touring with his loyal group The Dukes, and a commendable fight to overcome his own substance abuse troubles, (not to mention six marriages and counting) Earle watched his talented song Justin Townes Earle go down a similar path - only to lose his fight with depression and opiates, passing away at the age of thirty-eight in August of 2020. With a new intro, we try and honor Justin's memory and highlight Steve's haunting newest record JT, where Earle tries to process his son's passing by recording a collection of his most cherished songs.

This week, we feature a conversation with one of most admired and sharp-witted singer-songwriters in the fertile Nashville Americana scene, Caroline Spence. A sought-after lyricist who mines her own vulnerabilities and lovelorn past to tell delicately crafted story-songs, her voice seems to always hover angelically above the page, bringing to mind new-wave country pop heroines Alison Krauss or her vocal hero, Emmylou Harris. Growing up in Charlottesville, VA daydreaming to Harris' signature twangy honey-toned records like 'Wrecking Ball,' Spence admittedly was a bit starstruck when the silver-maned lady herself came on board to sing harmonies on the title track of Spence's newest LP 'Mint Condition.' It quickly became a critic's darling and an Americana radio staple nationwide. As a conversationalist, she usually leads with cheerful southern modesty, but beginning with her 2015 debut 'Somehow,' Spence wasn't afraid to push at country music's guy-centric boundaries. She brought aboard a talented group of genre-defining collaborators like blue-eyed soul hero Anderson East and folk pop favorite Erin Rae to give the songs new heft. Her follow-up 'Spades And Roses' brought more lush atmospherics to her yearning acoustic stories, elevating the clear-eyed feminine power behind emotive songs like “Heart Of Somebody.” While Spence will tell you she is just furthering the empowered spirit of roots songwriter pioneers who came before her, during this time of high anxiety, her deeply felt love songs like “Sit Here and Love Me” and “Slow Dancer” seem especially fitting, touching on her bouts of depression and her inability to connect with the ones who are trying to help her through. Sometimes sad songs truly do make people happy, and if you're feeling a bit low, maybe pop on her newest single “The Choir,” about finding your people when you need them most.

This week, we feature an intimate conversation with beloved soul and R&B singer Bettye LaVette. Covering her remarkable six decades in show-business, we dive deep into her beginnings as a Detroit hit-making teenager during Motown's heyday (her neighbor was Smokey Robinson), to her early career touring with Otis Redding and James Brown, and the hard times that followed as a music industry steeped in racist and sexist traditions largely turned its back on her. While other soulful song stylists like Sharon Jones, Tina Turner, Mavis Staples and others have seen their status and popularity rise with time, LaVette remains a best kept secret in the nascent Americana circuit, with younger listeners just discovering her remarkable work covering anyone from The Beatles to Neil Young to Billie Holiday. After nearly dropping out of music, her remarkable comeback began in 2005 with a string of acclaimed records - bringing her from half-filled bars to singing “Blackbird” at The Hollywood Bowl with a 32-piece orchestra, being nominated for five Grammy awards, and being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. One thing you'll notice immediately is her fiery laugh which punctuates the episode - even when telling the darkest stories like her early manager getting shot and her 1960s hits being recorded by white artists, leaving her versions largely forgotten. Her Grammy-nominated newest LP 'Blackbirds,' produced by legendary drummer Steve Jordan, shows her at her most vulnerable best.

This week, we take the show to the countryside of Sweden for an intimate talk with Kristian Matsson, poet-songwriter and masterful acoustic multi-instrumentalist who has released five acclaimed albums and two EPs over the last decade and a half, performing as The Tallest Man on Earth. Growing up in the small hamlet of Leksand, a three hour trek from Stockholm, Mattson was in rowdier indie-rock outfits like Montezumas before breaking out with his own dreamier acoustic material - gaining international notice with his breakout solo offering 'Shallow Grave' in 2008. Tours with Bon Iver across North America gained Matsson an adoring audience in the states, where he ended up setting up shop in Brooklyn. Most often performing solo even on the biggest stages, Matsson is known to have seven or more intricate tunings for his guitars and banjos, and with his high, cutting voice and cryptic, nature-inspired lyrics, he has been compared to some of his heroes like Roscoe Holcomb, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon but with a Swedish-naturalist touch. Songs like “Love Is All” or “The Gardener,” while gaining tens of millions of steams on folky playlists, pack quite a punch, often detailing how the cold cruelty of the animal kingdom filters into human life with its many frailties. In 2019, Matsson found his marriage to a fellow Swedish singer-songwriter ending and he holed up in his Brooklyn apartment to write, produce and engineer his newest Tallest Man On Earth LP, 'I Love You. It's A Fever Dream.' Like Springsteen's eerie and emotional 'Nebraska,' Matsson's collection is a clear-eyed view of our current state of interpersonal (and even societal) isolations. Standout songs like the warm guitar and echoey harmonica opener “Hotel Bar” - though written before he knew what would happen with our current pandemic - seem to capture the lost closeness and romance of our very recent past, where one could fall in love with a new stranger every night in a new town and think nothing of it. Sequestered in a small house in the middle of Sweden since the world shifted last year, a new Tallest Man On Earth album is sure to be on its way. Admittedly Matsson is going a bit stir-crazy away from the road, but really he's grateful to be able to have the time to explore and create new sounds without any distractions. A fall tour of the states is in the works (fingers crossed), including an opening slot at Red Rocks joining Mandolin Orange and Bonny Light Horseman.

Justin Hiltner is a queer banjo player, songwriter, journalist, and activist living here in Nashville. We talk about how his faith has been tested throughout his life so far, from coming out to his conservative evangelical family in rural Ohio to his fight against cancer more recently. His journey toward healing has been one of an evolving worldview starting with accepting those who have not accepted him along the way, and gradually learning how to accept himself. Despite these hardships, Justin is flourishing as a bluegrass musician here in Middle Tennessee. He writes for the Bluegrass Situation, an online publication covering bluegrass, roots music. Justin's also the Chair of the Board for Bluegrass Pride, an organization that promotes inclusion in bluegrass music. And he's the first openly gay man to receive a nomination from the International Bluegrass Music Association. And if that weren't enough, Justin's working on his debut solo record set to come out in 2021. Learn more at justinhiltner.com and find him over on Instagram @hiltnerj. For Reflection: Consider a time when someone has made a judgment about you. How did you respond to it in the moment, and have you been able to rise above it? How do you make sense of suffering you've experienced in your own life? What coping mechanisms do you have for moving on? Resources: We played “If I Were a Praying Man” during one of the breaks and “What I Miss the Most” as we closed the show. Both tracks are off of the album “Watch it Burn” by Justin Hiltner & Jon Weisberger which you can find on Apple Music and Spotify. And be sure to check out some of the publications and programs that Justin mentioned during the show. There's The Bluegrass Situation and the article Justin mentions, "Letting Go of Time: My Soundtrack for a Year with Cancer." And be sure to check out Bluegrass Pride, the Shout and Shine Showcase 2020, and Gilda's Club of Middle TN. Out Loud is a podcast by and for queer people of faith in the South. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and join our mailing list for updates. Support the show financially by becoming a Patreon member, or by leaving a one-time donation on our website. Hosted by Greg Thompson. Edited by Cariad Harmon. Theme music by JP Rugierri.

Fiddler Patrick McGonigle and music journalist Emma John uncover bluegrass music one iconic record at a time in The Breakdown, a new limited series from The Bluegrass Situation. Peeling back the layers of a sometimes under appreciated genre, The Breakdown reveals the bizarre, compelling, and often completely mad stories from bluegrass players past and present.