LISTEN: Brit Taylor, “Kentucky Blue”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Brit Taylor
Hometown: Hindman, Kentucky
Song: “Kentucky Blue”
Album: Kentucky Blue
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Label: Cut A Shine / Thirty Tigers

In Their Words: “‘Kentucky Blue’ is a universal feeling that we’ve all felt at one point or another. Hardship and loss — whether it is of a person, a goal, or even a dream — is inescapable. It happens to every one of us. I think right now the country music community is feeling more Kentucky Blue than ever with the loss of Loretta Lynn and Leslie Jordan. Loretta Lynn paved a path for female artists like no other before her, and Leslie carved out a lane for the LGBTQ community to be seen and respected in the country music format. I hope ‘Kentucky Blue’ brings comfort to other people like it does to me.” — Brit Taylor

Photo Credit: David McClister

LISTEN: Michael Cleveland, “Sunny Days (Are Comin’ Once Again)”

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Artist: Michael Cleveland
Hometown: Henryville, Indiana
Song: “Sunny Days (Are Comin’ Once Again)”
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Label: Compass Records

In Their Words: “I first heard ‘Sunny Days (Are Comin’ Once Again)’ in 2020 when we were in the middle of the Covid pandemic and everything was shut down. The band wasn’t playing and if it hadn’t been for all the great sessions I got to play on from home during that time, I probably would’ve gone out of my mind. I was asked to play on this original song written by Greg Poulos and I instantly liked it — it was such a positive tune about better, sunny, days ahead. I’m so thankful Greg agreed to let me have it, and Jeff White and Dan Tyminski absolutely nailed the vocals!” — Michael Cleveland

Photo Credit: Amy Richmond

A New Documentary Explores Ireland’s Most Unlikely Bluegrass Festival

Posted on by Editor

If you’re curious about how a small town in Ireland became a bluegrass destination, you’ll want to carve out 15 minutes to watch the Westport Bluegrass & Folk Festival documentary. It provides an interesting glimpse into how one man’s passion for bluegrass put this charming town in County Mayo on the map among fans of acoustic music. Throughout the short film, festival founder Uri Kohen traces the ascent of the annual event, which quickly sparked interest from other similar communities in Ireland. (Read more about Kohen in this BGS interview from 2019.)

His early goals were ambitious: To showcase Westport to the world, and to expose Westport to bluegrass. In other words, he was more interested in promoting bluegrass music beyond just the festival itself. Soon, the word about the newcomer started to trickle throughout the country, leading many to wonder, “When did Westport get involved with bluegrass?” When those Irish listeners came to the festival to check it out for themselves, they made it a point to return again and again. Now it’s one of the best-known and most-loved events in the country’s bluegrass circles, bringing together locals and tourists alike.

Blended in with Kohen’s stories, the documentary places the viewer inside the town’s authentic Irish pubs as amateur fiddlers, banjo players, guitarists, and singers gather together simply for the joy of bluegrass. As Kohen explains, he was playing small gigs around Westport in 2007 when he decided to create something inspired by The Last Waltz by The Band. “But I didn’t know what the music is,” he recalls. “And someone said, ‘It’s called bluegrass.’ I said, ‘I don’t know what it is, but let’s do it.’ And there it was. I created my own bluegrass festival.”

BGS 5+5: Emily Nenni

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Artist: Emily Nenni
Hometown: Orinda, California; born & half-raised in San Jose; has called Nashville home for 10 years
Latest Album: On the Ranch (November 4, 2022)
Nicknames: Emmylou, Louie, Lou

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

It was a Honky Tonk Tuesday when I was about 23 years old and my 82-year-old Grammy was visiting for her birthday. Midway through my set, I got everyone at American Legion Post 82 to sing her happy birthday and she felt so special. She talked about it for years!

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I like to have a Miller Lite or two and sing three-part harmony bluegrass tunes with my guitarist (Jack Quiggins) and bass player (Ryan Jennings.) It warms up the pipes and keeps it light.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

Drummer John Radford always said to me when I was 21 and hangin’ in certain circles of musicians, “don’t trust boys” — and he’s been right a time or two!

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I’d like to make sauce and meatballs for Jerry Reed, RIP.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Never. All songs aside from “Canyon” on my first record are autobiographical and I sing ‘em as such!

LISTEN: Grain Thief, “Tangled up in Blue” (Live)

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Artist: Grain Thief
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Tangled up in Blue”
Album: Ain’t Hungover Yet
Release Date: November 19, 2022
Label: Plow Man Records

In Their Words: “‘Tangled up in Blue’ has become one of our favorite songs to play live. Fast, very fun to sing, and everybody loves this song! I never made any attempt to learn the lyrics; I just realized one day (after having listened to every known version of the song for years) that I knew all the words. If you can manage to remember an opus like ‘Tangled,’ you are pretty much duty bound to play it. On this particular day at Podunk Bluegrass Festival it was about a thousand degrees Fahrenheit during our first set, which may explain some of the vocal outbursts caught on this recording.” — Patrick Mulroy, Grain Thief

GrainThief · Tangled Up In Blue

Photo Credit: Matt Gardner

LISTEN: The Panhandlers, “West Texas Is the Best Texas”

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Artist: The Panhandlers
Hometown: West Texas
Song: “West Texas Is the Best Texas”
Album: West Texas Is the Best Texas EP
Release Date: October 7, 2022
Label: The Panhandlers / Deep Roots Management / Make Wake Artists

In Their Words: “Waylon Jennings and his band roll into a West Texas saloon. There’s an uptempo pianist playing with a fiddler and a banjo player. After their set, Waylon invites them over, and two hours later they’re still taking whiskey shots and sharing stories along with a snarky but good-spirited local rancher. That’s ‘West Texas Is the Best Texas.'” — Josh Abbott

“I recall bringing to the table the idea that we write a bridge to this very proud song — a disclaimer that, although we boast ‘West Texas Is the Best Texas,’ it’s ultimately just a song, and we love all of Texas and all Texans. I feared and imagined that without it, there would be pockets of folks everywhere (in the state) that would boo and throw shit on stage when we played it in their neck of the woods. I also recall that it was supposed to be in the styling of a Western swing song, but ‘Midland Jamboree’ already occupied that space, so I think it was Scott Davis (Bass) that insisted we try to spin it à la Don Williams. And boy was that THE MOVE! I LOVE how the groove just drives home the mojo and spirit of the lyrics. One of my favorite Panhandlers recordings ever!” — Cleto Cordero

Photo Credit: Mackenzie Ryan Photography

Basic Folk – Mali Obomsawin

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Y’all ready for a crossover? Basic Folk listeners will remember Mali Obomsawin from their work as a bassist, singer, and songwriter with folk trio Lula Wiles, but today we are celebrating Mali’s debut as a jazz bandleader/composer. Mali’s new album, Sweet Tooth, was inspired by field recordings of elders from Mali’s Wabanaki community.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • STITCHER • AMAZON • MP3

Mali’s improvisational approach to creating music results in a remarkable living piece of music that not only illustrates hundreds of years of their people’s history, but also illuminates their hopes for the rematriation of Native lands. One of the most insidious lies about Native people in the Americas is that they are relics of the past, not constantly-evolving communities. Through their music and activism, Mali refutes this claim. The record weaves field recordings with intense instrumentals and Mali’s stunning voice. They even co-wrote a Penobscot language chant to close the album. Sweet Tooth confronts heartbreaking history while insisting upon a path forward. It is at turns heartbreaking, jarring, tender, and fun.

Those who are interested in learning more about the concept of intersectionality will find this episode of Basic Folk fascinating. Mali and I dig deep into what it looks like to embrace gender freedom while remaining loyal to the bonds shared by women of color within a hostile colonial culture.

Editor’s Note: Basic Folk is currently running their annual fall fundraiser! Visit basicfolk.com/donate for a message from hosts Cindy Howes and Lizzie No, and to support this listener-funded podcast.

Photo Credit: Abby and Jared Lank

LISTEN: Schaefer Llana, “It’s Gonna Take Some Time”

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Artist: Schaefer Llana
Hometown: Batesville, Mississippi
Song: “It’s Gonna Take Some Time”
Release Date: October 26, 2022
Label: Big Legal Mess Records

In Their Words: “I was on the road with Jimbo Mathus, playing in his rock n roll band. We were outside of Boston, and I was missing the love of my life — my dog Ralph Stanley. Jimbo was sleeping in the back of the Murder Van, and the rest of the band had gone off to explore the city. I stayed back, grabbed the van’s Stella guitar, and found a patch of grass. Lucinda Williams was the only thing I was listening to that week, and I think she moved through me when I started strumming. The words fell out of my mouth. I showed Jimbo my song when he woke up, and we started playing it a few nights later.” — Schaefer Llana

Photo Credit: Ziggy Mack

For a New Father, Dustbowl Revival’s “Be (For July)” Brought Comfort Amid Crisis

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When words fail, music speaks. This is a truth that Dustbowl Revival lead singer Z. Lupetin experienced firsthand in January of 2021. That winter, Lupetin and his wife Taylor were expecting their first child, a girl that would be named July. After July’s arrival into the world and into the loving arms of her parents, Z. Lupetin’s fairy tale turned into a nightmare as wife Taylor started experiencing crippling pain and severe symptoms that left the doctors confused and unsure as they did all they could to keep her alive. Over the following weeks and months, Taylor battled through a host of life-threatening plot twists and was eventually diagnosed with an extremely rare condition called atypical hemolytic uremic disorder, a condition that currently affects about 400 people in the United States.

“This song is important to me,” Z. Lupetin says, “because in some way, it tries to tell the story of how we got here. I would go home after spending grueling days at the hospital watching my wife battle this sinister sickness, and when little July finally fell asleep, I’d play this song over and over on our old 1918 Steinway piano. It got me through. The chords comforted me. It is about the fear I was experiencing but more about all the hopes I had for my daughter and the time we could spend together as a family — if my wife could come home to us.”

Through strength, perseverance, and an inordinate amount of hope, Taylor pulled through and gradually rejoined the life of her family with newborn baby July. Having passed through such heights and depths of emotion and experience, Z. Lupetin went to the page. Performed by Dustbowl Revival, “Be (For July)” is a touching song in its own right. But in the context of the incredible story of the singer-songwriter and his family, it’s enough to bring anyone to tears. Take a look at “Be (For July)” and keep an eye out for the band’s new EP, Set Me Free.

Photo Credit: Bob Turton

WATCH: Joe Baughman + The Righteous Few, “Vacant Spaces”

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Artist: Joe Baughman + The Righteous Few
Hometown: South Bend, Indiana
Song: “Vacant Spaces”
Album: Antichrist Complex
Release Date: November 4, 2022

In Their Words: “Growing up a pastor’s kid in an evangelical Christian church, I was always very fascinated by the prophets I learned about. They seemed to be very lonely people, who always spoke what they thought to be the truth, no matter how unpleasant. I find myself relating to these outcasts of their own culture, speaking in visuals that people don’t often understand.

“When I started making this video, I didn’t expect it to take three years to finish, but I found myself spending more and more time on every detail, trying new techniques and adding more depth. I had been making music videos for other bands for nearly a decade, so I wanted to make my first video for my own band something extra special. I spent many lonely hours sculpting, carving, Mod Podge-ing, hot gluing, painting, animating, and editing. Like most stop-motion animation, this project was difficult, tedious, and exhausting, but I enjoyed the challenge and am excited for how it has turned out. It was definitely weird listening to my own song over and over (and weirder still working with a little version of myself), but by the end I grew to love it in the same way I have grown fond of every song I’ve created music videos for.” — Joe Baughman

Photo Credit: Joe Baughman + The Righteous Few