WATCH: Lindsay Lou, “Still Water”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Lindsay Lou
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Still Water”
Album: You Thought You Knew EP
Release Date: July 22, 2022

In Their Words: “The rushing river never gets a moment of peace, even when no one is around.”

“They say still waters run deep. As a heart-on-my-sleeve sort of person, I’ve always been mystified and drawn to the quiet and reserved. What’s going on in there? Do they have the same anxieties I do? Are they at peace when they’re alone? Are they holding onto a secret? This song is a reminder to slow down and remember that we create our own value. That it’s an internal thing. Maybe that’s the secret, and maybe I need that reminder, especially in the quiet moments between all the bustling of life, the parties, the festivals, the work, the Technicolor and the radio waves. If we can’t create space for peace within ourselves, even in the uninterrupted white noise of aloneness, I can’t imagine there being space for it anywhere else.” — Lindsay Lou

Photo Credit: Loren Johnson. Video Director: Joshua Lockhart. Band: Lindsay Lou (guitar and vox), Ethan Jodjevitz (bass), Maya de Vitry (fiddle), Jordan Tice (lead guitar), Dominic Leslie (mandolin)

WATCH: Jake Blount, “Once There Was No Sun”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jake Blount
Hometown: Washington, D.C.; now Providence, Rhode Island
Song: “Once There Was No Sun”
Album: The New Faith
Release Date: September 23, 2022
Label: Smithsonian Folkways

In Their Words: “I learned ‘Once There Was No Sun’ from a Bessie Jones recording. The track opens with a reading from Genesis, describing the world in the days prior to the creation of light, the sun, and the moon. The song’s lyrics reflect on the same period of time, reminding us that many things we treat as universal constants did not always exist — and, by extension, could recede into nothingness at any time. ‘Once There Was No Sun’ is an invitation to reflect on the impermanence, fragility and beauty of a world we too often take for granted. We filmed on a small island off the coast of Maine, which also inspired the setting for The New Faith, and it was clear to us from the start that the video should highlight the majesty of the landscape. The video is a celebration of beauty, in some of its most elemental forms: wind, light, sea and stone, and human bodies moving through it all. It’s my hope that, through such celebrations, we can learn to better care for all these things.”

Produced by Black Lodge Productions, the video features Blount alongside Veeva Banga, a South Sudanese dancer and choreographer based in Portland, Maine. Photo Credit: Tadin Brown

Basic Folk – Tami Neilson

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

We go track by track on Canadian-born New Zealand feminist trouble maker and country music superstar Tami Neilson’s fifth album, Kingmaker. Recorded at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios, the songs of Kingmaker expose industry systems, exploding patriarchal structures of the industry, society and family. It’s definitely not new territory for Tami — her previous two albums called attention to misogyny and patriarchal structures. She digs into these themes with sophistication, grace, emotion and humor. The way she brings these important messages to life hits you hard, but you can also dance to it.

 

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This is Tami’s second appearance on the podcast (she was first on episode 79). Definitely check out our first conversation as we talk about her life in her family band, her move to New Zealand and her relationship to fashion and appearance. She also talked about experiencing the death of her father, musician Ron Neilson. He appears on Kingmaker in several forms. For instance, on the song “Beyond the Stars,” written with Delaney Davidson, she sings about the loss and the longing to be with him again, with the legendary Willie Nelson singing the part of Tami’s dad.

Tami’s one in a million! Enjoy this conversation and her brilliant new album, Kingmaker.

Photo Credit: Sophia Bayly

LISTEN: Josh Rouse, “Hollow Moon”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Josh Rouse
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Hollow Moon”
Album: Going Places
Release Date: July 29, 2022
Label: Yep Roc Records

In Their Words: “A couple of friends of mine — my Spanish band — bought a small venue, sort of like a 1950s American bar. I said, ‘Let’s get together and play some songs in the bar — something that feels good in a smaller room. Just toe-tappers.’ A year later, after things opened up a bit, I said, ‘Why don’t we just go in and I’ll produce it, and let’s just record these songs and see what happens?’ And that’s what the Going Places record is — stuff that just felt good to play to a live audience.

“‘Hollow Moon’ started as a guitar riff on my voice memo with what sounded like me mumbling ‘hollow moon’ over and over. Through the course of several decades, I’ve learned it’s best to stick to the original mumble whether it has meaning or not. I came up with some lonely, only-child verses and sent them to Matt Costa to lay some of his Kinksish harmonies. Very catchy. Perhaps a hit.” — Josh Rouse

Photo Credit: Jim Harrington

BGS 5+5: Leon Timbo

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Leon Timbo
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Latest Album: Lovers and Fools, Vol. 2

Which artists have influenced you the most…and how?

Ray Charles. Ray Charles was able to authentically represent a part of himself, within the country music genre, without losing the essence of the Ray Charles we have all come to love and know. My deep admiration for him is directly associated with the genuineness experienced in all his music, regardless of the chosen genre or sound. His ability to be himself gives me permission to be myself! As a musician, I needed that permission to do what I do.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

My favorite kind of memory is not tied to a specific date or event but rather a unique experience I have had several times in my career. This favorite moment happens when people who don’t know who I am discover me for the first time. I’ve experienced this with people and have also been fortunate enough to experience it in rooms. You can almost feel the room holding its breath as it shares in my honesty and transparency. Eyes closed, deep breaths, and the look of connection on the audience’s face signal to me that this is a special moment to be remembered. I love those moments!

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

We create art that gives people permission to live honestly, and freely!

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

Let it go! Let go of the good, the bad, expectations, and limitations. As artists and writers, I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and sometimes it prevents us from experiencing the freedom that creative moments naturally bring. The best advice I have ever been given is to let all that stuff go and write for the moment.

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

Before a show and studio session, I like to practice mindfulness. I want to feel the energy of a space and figure out how to connect to it. This could mean just walking into the area and spending a few quiet moments there. Each room you enter has a sound and expectation; what worked for the last show may not work for this one. As I find my space, I visualize where I am and what narratives are essential for what I need to get across. Most times, I see myself more as a comedian than an artist. Comedians are intentional about knowing details about the cities they visit and incorporate that knowledge into their jokes. I try to do the same thing as a musician. I try to lean into what a region may be experiencing to ensure that what I bring to the stage is relevant.

Photo Credit: Jace Kartye

LISTEN: Tiffany Williams, “The Sea”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Tiffany Williams
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Sea”
Album: All Those Days of Drinking Dust
Release Date: August 19, 2022

In Their Words: “An extended metaphor song, after ‘Hares On the Mountain’ and ‘Rock Salt and Nails.’ A gentle oscillation between the hypothetical ‘If you were this, I would be this.’ Grounded in the natural world, this is a song of abiding love, regardless of physical form. The track benefits greatly from the brilliance of Ben Sollee, whose cello takes on a sort of electric, undulating wave pattern and plummets leagues below before soaring skyward again. Because this was during Covid, he recorded remotely in his home studio, but the feel he captured for the song would lead you to believe he was there in the room feeling the energy of the track in real time. The video was created by Lucky Platt, a Maine-based animator, storyteller, and author of the children’s book Imagine a Wolf. You can learn more about her here.” — Tiffany Williams

Photo Credit: Danielle Shields

WATCH: Pharis & Jason Romero, “Cannot Change It All” (Live in Horsefly, BC)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Pharis & Jason Romero
Hometown: Horsefly, BC
Song: “Cannot Change It All”
Album: Tell ‘Em You Were Gold
Release Date: June 17, 2022
Label: Smithsonian Folkways

In Their Words: “‘Cannot Change It All’ started with Clara the banjo. Clara has a 12” rim and a small flangeless resonator, all made from Claro walnut salvaged from a fire. For the banjo-interested: the tonering is a rolled brass tube sitting on a v-channel of rosewood, so it has plenty of nice metal overtones on top of the woody richness of the pau ferro. Jason was playing around with the banjo in the tuning d#BF#G#B and this ‘Little Birdie’-esque riff started coming out. We sat down and played ‘Little Birdie’ for a while, trying it out on piano and guitar, and then we went camping and canoeing in an incredible valley in the mountains. ‘Little Birdie’ was stuck in Phar’s head, and the words ‘man is best when he does not know the riches at his feet’ just popped out with the rhythm of the canoe paddle. It’s on our minds a lot: how to be a loving and beloved part of the ecosystem.

“The videographers, Trent Freeman and Eva Anandi Brownstein, filmed nearly the whole time we were making the album. ‘Cannot Change’ was filmed as one long beautiful moving shot. Patrick Metzger (bass) had arrived that morning, and we’d spent the day recording some other songs for the record. We had supper and went back to the barn for a rehearsal run on ‘Cannot Change’; it was dark and snowing outside and cozy in the barn, and the kids were in bed. It all felt so good that we just went for it.” — Pharis & Jason Romero

Photo Credit: Patrick King

BGS 5+5: Joe Pug

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Joe Pug
Hometown: Greenbelt, Maryland
Latest Album: Nation of Heat | Revisited

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

Music is pretty singular, so it’s hard to draw straight lines between songwriting and other artforms. But I did study playwriting in college, and I will never forget how long it took to write a play. There are so many characters, and plot lines, and action items. And it can take many different revisions to make it all hold together. So any time I’m stressing about the composition of an album, I think to myself, “At least I don’t have to write a play right now.”

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

There’s a line in a Herman Hesse book where he describes Siddhartha acting in the world and he mentioned an odd characteristic: “He let people cheat him a little bit.” I’m certainly no one’s door mat, and if there is a major sticking point in business I stand my ground. But when people try to get over on me just a little bit, I just roll with it because worrying about ticky-tack disagreements will derail your larger goals.

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

I grew up in Maryland but lived in Texas for many years. In Maryland, I thought barbecue was hamburgers and hot dogs. When I moved to Texas, I learned that’s a “cookout” but not barbecue. I fell in love with Texas barbecue and still try my hand at it myself on a smoker. There’s a legendary Texas musician named Harvey Thomas Young, whose song “Deep Dark Wells” I have covered for many years. I think a concert by Harvey and a big serving of brisket and coleslaw would pair quite nicely.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

Years ago my band was offered the chance to open for Levon Helm at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. We drove from Austin, Texas, to Michigan overnight just to play that one show because his music and legacy mean so much to me. At the end of the set, he invited us to join him on stage for his encore. It was “The Weight,” of course, and I got to sing the first verse while smiling across stage to him the whole time.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I’m trying to write “Amazing Grace.” That’s it. I’m trying to write a song that’s so beautiful that it will not only be remembered hundreds of years from now, but no one will even know who wrote it.

Photo Credit: Ryan Nolan

LISTEN: Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, “Since You”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
Hometown: Washington, D.C., area
Song: “Since You”
Album: ALL NEW
Release Date: July 29, 2022

In Their Words: “When Tom and I wrote ‘Since You,’ we had a goal of creating a happy bluegrass love song with a harmony chorus. We also wanted to create a song that other bluegrass and country artists might want to sing. We liked the idea of alternating verses so we could both be lead singer. It’s one of many bluegrass songs we wrote — a little generic in order to make it easily sung by anyone. Good energy, good vibe, happy tempo, trio harmonies, and rockin’ bluegrass band. We were writing a song a week together and every few weeks we’d focus on a love song or a bluegrass song, and this one nailed both! And as we thought of both the album and performances, this song fits nearly anywhere.” — Cathy Fink

Photo Credit: Michael G. Stewart

WATCH: The HillBenders, “Nothing but a Banjo On”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The HillBenders
Hometown: Springfield, Missouri
Song: “Nothing but a Banjo On”
Release Date: July 15, 2022
Label: HillBent

In Their Words: “‘Nothing but a Banjo On’ started out as just a funny idea a good friend of mine, Anne Youngblood, came up with. Letting it all hang out while pickin’ the banjo. We would talk and laugh about it here and there for a couple years. One day, it just hit me, we really could make a fun tune out of this concept. I think a lot of pickers can relate to and appreciate the sentiment; the comfort of home, loved ones, and playing music. It could be interchangeable as well, an insert-your-primary-instrument’s-name sort of thing. Everyone who plays an instrument can relate to this concept to some degree. Maybe not stripping down to their birthday suits but the release and enjoyment that making music can bring to you, especially after a tough day’s work.” — Mark Cassidy, songwriter and The HillBenders banjoist

Photo Credit: Zen Lens Photomedia