Page 20 – The Bluegrass Situation

Swedish Singer-Songwriter Sarah Klang Brings ‘Beautiful Woman’ Stateside

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

I meet Swedish performer and singer-songwriter Sarah Klang in the glorious maximalist backstage area at Nashville’s the Blue Room before her first-ever Music City show in mid-January. She’s cozy on the couch, a tin of pouched nicotine by her side, a hippo skull on the coffee table in front of us, and her brand new album, Beautiful Woman (out February 7) on our minds. The first thing I notice – besides her beautiful tattoos and the shimmering gemstone stud on one of her teeth – is her gaudy and gorgeous red-white-and-blue acrylic nails. Complete with rhinestones and glitter.

To Klang, the country aesthetic is the “coolest,” and in her part of the world she’s seen as something of a country queen. Her work across her discography varies greatly in genres and sonics, including folk, indie, pop, Americana, and so much more. But Beautiful Woman, which was produced by Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats, Bonny Light Horseman) doesn’t feel like Klang is just putting on rootsiness because it’s “cool” or “in” or trending. These are sonic spaces she knows well and strides through with ease.

Beautiful Woman boasts bold and brash moments that feel like Adele covering The SteelDrivers alongside tender story songs that could have almost been pulled from the catalogs of country queens this side of the Atlantic like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. Danceable tracks, finger-picked ballads, and honest lyrics speak to impactful issues of motherhood, agency, feminism, embodiment – and so much more – but still feel light and joyful, leaning forward in the beat and finding hope in the melancholic.

Catching her debut Nashville performance at the Blue Room felt a bit momentous, though Klang seemed remarkably chill and relaxed, on and off stage. She and collaborator Theo Stocks (who also helps record and produce her projects) performed in duet, with lush reverbs and simple backing percussion tracks to a rapt audience. An audience who knew they were lucky to have Klang on this “side of the pond.”

Before the show, we dove into Beautiful Woman, speaking about the death of genre, choosing your own joy, always wanting more banjos, and so much more.

Do you see what you do as roots music? How do you place your own music within roots or folk or Americana? Your music has so many things – it’s got moments of grandeur, it’s got moments of subtlety, it’s got indie, it’s got pop, it’s got a little bit of everything. But I wonder how you identify it.

Sarah Klang: That’s sort of a really hard question. I always feel it’s a little bit like I don’t really know the genres. So, mostly when I put out my albums, afterwards people will review them and they will tell me what genre it is and I will be like, “Yeah, yeah! Mhmm, that’s what it is.” Because I don’t really think about it.

I mean, I listen to so much– random indie, folk, Americana, all those things that you mentioned. And I’m introduced to iconic classical things mainly through Theo [Stocks], my guitarist that I make albums with, and also Eric [D. Johnson]. Like a very normal thing in the studio would be that they would say, “Oh, this is very Kris Kristofferson-ish.” And I would be like, “Could you play it for me?” And then they play the song, and I’m like, “Okay!”

I don’t really have a special aim for where I’m going, because I don’t have any roots in anything. Really. I know what I like. I know the feeling [of what] I’m after. I guess the sentimental [and the] bittersweet, those always end up in some sort of Americana thing.

If it’s not the genre, or style, or the aesthetic that you’re going for – or that you’re following – it sounds to me like you’re following the songs themselves and the feeling you’re trying to evoke.

Yes. I mean, it’s just like an imprinted thing in my brain, “What sounds do I like?” It has always been like that, really. I don’t really play any instruments anymore. I used to play the guitar and the piano, but now I don’t. We’ve been here [in Nashville] for seven days and had sessions every day and Theo knows very well how to describe [the sounds]. He’s kind of like my interpreter. How do you say it? My interpreter? When it comes to melodies and shorts [takes], because someone at the session could play me a bit and I’ll be like “Hmmm?” And Theo will say, “It’s the last short. She doesn’t want that last short. Let’s go with that instead.” He understands.

I think I just have quite a small range of melodies that I like. I mean, my songs are kind of similar, how they are made. The aesthetic of country music has always felt like that’s the only way to go. That’s the only aesthetic that really looks cool, you know? When I started to dress up in country-ish things in Sweden, people were like, “Okay, well she makes country music.” That’s how far they would go. So in Sweden I’m often categorized and called the country queen of Sweden. I get a little bit nervous about that, because I know so little about country music and you know that everybody has such strong opinions about it.

What’s funny to me is even with how strong of opinions people have about country and what it is, it’s always in the eye of the beholder.

I’ve obviously been listening a lot – maybe not classic country, whatever that is – but I mean, I’ve been listening to Kurt Vile, Kevin Morby, Sharon Van Etten, you know, those very big country rock people for a long time. I think that is my biggest influence, really. Then we take that and Theo and Eric on this album, who are just very nerdy in music, they put their spin on it.

But for me, it’s not important to me. Where this album lands, in which genre – I couldn’t care less. But, I think that’s why I started having a western aesthetic. ‘Cause it’s the coolest part, I think. I was like, “Okay, I’m gonna start a solo project. Where do I want to be? What’s cool?”

That, probably. [Laughs]

You’re talking about collaborating with Theo and Eric and it sounds like having that trust and having that rapport is really important to getting the music where you wanted to get it. When I listen through and I hear the banjo moments and the really rootsy and Americana moments, trying to connect the dots, how much of that came from Eric producing?

I asked for that specifically! I mean, if it were up to me, I would say, “More banjo! Put banjo on everything!” ‘Cause that makes everything a jam.

But the boys are more tasteful when it comes to that. When [Eric] played, I think I asked him to try and play on like every song – and not because I wanted to be a “diddly doo” out there, but just because that’s my vibe. I mean, when someone plays on a banjo, there is nothing more tearjerking.

Of course, “Last Forever” jumped out at me for that quality. That was the track from Beautiful Woman that we premiered on BGS. I think it’s my favorite song on the record. But there are so many moments that feel like you’re a genre shapeshifter. And I think that that’s the time we’re in too, genre’s dead. Even while we get more and more and more genre names every year, it feels like genre’s dead.

For me, it’s probably a good thing that it is. That I’m not locked in a genre. I don’t think I’m ever gonna have to be like, “Okay guys, I’m breaking free from this [genre.]” I don’t have to do like a Miley Cyrus thing – “look at my new clothes!” – because I wear everything and that’s nice because I think I’m gonna keep on producing albums as long as I can, and I would like to not be stuck if I were to start feeling this [genre] is boring.

I mean, I’m a huge house fan. I love dance music. When I was a teenager, I mostly listened to weird party drinking music from the UK. I always wanted to make a club album. So, hopefully I could just like sneak over there. When the time’s right. [Laughs]

Another song that jumped out at me as feeling really rootsy is “Childhood.” Not only because of the aesthetic of the song, but the storytelling of it and the nostalgia in it. Something about it feels kind of theatrical to me, too, and I think country is so theatrical.

Yeah, it’s very dramatic. I think when I’m making a song, I feel like “more is more” and if you are going in a certain direction, just go all-in and don’t cringe. Because then it’s just going to end up in some halfway world.

For me, with “Childhood” I was like, “Oh, is this song too nice? Is it too sweet?” Like, no! It’s great. It’s a great song. You just have to go all the way with the feelings. Because then if you don’t, I don’t think you’re going to reach the point you wanted to reach.

Many of my melodies, when I write, I ask myself or Theo or Eric, “Is this too pop-y? Does it sound too much like yada yada yada? Is this a rip off?” And they’re, “Let’s go for it!” You just go straight into that vibe and feeling.

Our music goes all the way into the feeling without hesitating if it might be too much. If you are driving your car, you want to listen to Tom Petty. And he wasn’t like, “Oh, I’m gonna write a song that is making people feel free… but it can’t be too much!” [Laughs]

“I want a driving song, but for 35 miles an hour.”

No! [Laughs] Pedal to the metal.

The overarching concepts that the album is talking about, I think what some people, especially in the U.S., would think these are deep topics – feminism, womanhood, gender and gender roles. But I found it interesting that even with these subjects, the music still feels joyful, it feels like it’s looking forward, it feels like it leans forward – in the beat, literally and figuratively. But, it doesn’t feel like cotton candy, and it doesn’t feel like you’re minimizing anything. Can you talk a little bit about that?

I mean, that makes me so happy that you felt that way. I’ve done interviews about this album in Sweden, with women, and they’re like, “Sarah, you do know that you are a beautiful woman now, right? And I’m like, that’s not the fucking point! As if I were singing it, meaning that that was the point. Maybe I thought when I was younger that that was a goal, but it’s not now.

I just want to write whatever comes to mind, and since English is not my first language, I have to write it very straight and simple. Like, “This is what happened, period.” I don’t really have the energy or time to hide the message. That is not my thing. Some people are great with that, leaving clues. I just write words – it’s also like, I’m busy I need to write the lyrics now! [Laughs]

I always ask my friend when I’ve done an album, “What is the catchphrase for this album? What would you say now when you heard it?” So, for VIRGO she was like, “This is your sex album.” And Mercedes, “This is your pregnancy album, obviously.” But this one, she was like, “I think this is a celebration of girlhood, period.” And I was like, “Yep, that’s perfect.” I’ll just use that. Because I obviously just collect songs. Over a period of time, and then I feel, well now it’s done. And I don’t write an album after a theme.

One of the things I love about the album is that it ends on “I Have Everything.” I like that that’s the way that you’re putting a punctuation mark on the album. Right now, I’m really worn out by attention economies, consumption, consumerism, and like, “buying our happiness.” I was really struck by that song. I love having it at the end; it feels like you are not just talking to us, your listeners, but you’re also talking to yourself. So I wanted to ask you about the song and about the placement of it in the sequence.

I think I wrote it to myself. Like, “Listen! Stop being a complete asshole all the time!” It’s annoying, but I’ve learned – and it’s nice, but it’s hard to talk about it without it sounding so cringey and boring – but the only thing that makes you happy is to take walks outside, be with your family, eat right, and take care of yourself. And that is boring, but it’s the truth. I always felt that people who said, “I wake up every morning and tell myself five things that I’m grateful for–” and I’m like, “Okay… that’s weird.” [Laughs]

If you do that, you will probably feel better. If you are nice to people around you, you will probably feel better. If you’re nice to yourself. I mean, grown up people have been telling me [this] all my life. During my 20s, through periods where I was just unhinged and didn’t feel right. They were like, “Well, maybe if you took a little better care of yourself and didn’t party so much and spent time with your family, you would feel better.” And I was like, “Listen, it’s more than that.”

Yeah, like I am so deep. [Laughs] My traumas are so deep! You have no idea! I’m a fuck up. And then, turns out you’re not. That’s a nice thing about getting a little bit older, you just know, “I’m gonna be fine.” And it’s also my responsibility to make that happen.

Every time somebody had ever told me that “joy is a choice” and “happiness is a choice,” I didn’t realize at first that what they meant was joy or happiness that you construct for yourself isn’t fake.

No! And it doesn’t undermine your sad parts. Like, that is always going to be there. Don’t worry. I think so many of us are just melancholic people. I mean, people have had worse experiences than I’ve had and are so chill and so fine.

I think happiness is definitely something you can work on and give to yourself, and it’s not like a miracle.

Photo Credit: Fredrika Eriksson

John Mailander’s Improvisational Forecast Says ‘Let The World In’

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

Whether or not you know it, you’ve likely heard John Mailander music. Chances are he’s even worked with one (or some) of your favorite artists, from Bruce Hornsby to Billy Strings, Noah Kahan, Joy Williams, Lucy Dacus, Molly Tuttle, and many more.

No disrespect to his work with the Noisemakers (who he’s toured with since 2018), or Strings’ GRAMMY-winning album Home, or any other projects, but it’s Mailander’s original works where his musical wizardry glows brightest. On his latest effort, Let the World In, his abilities are stronger than ever as he combines the influences from everyone he’s worked with into an adventure of orchestral bliss guided by trance-like, open-ended jazzy jams.

Helping Mailander to paint these soundscapes across nine tracks and 35 total minutes of run-time are his longtime band members in Forecast – Ethan Jodziewicz, Chris Lippincott, Mark Raudabaugh, Jake Stargel, David Williford – who he first started playing with during a Nashville residency at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in 2019 to celebrate the release of his debut album of the same name. Through eight instrumental tracks (and a cover of Nick Drake’s “Road”) they send listeners on an introspective journey throughout Let the World In that brings the jazz leaning work of Hornsby and jam-fueled tendencies of Phish together, showing just how far he and Forecast have grown and evolved since first coming together.

“The first record was a blueprint, the second was settling into and discovering who we are, and this record is the most confident statement of who we are,” Mailander tells BGS. “Harmonies, colors, melodic themes, it can all be tied back to the first record in some way.”

Mailander spoke to us ahead of the album’s release about how all of his prior collaborative experiences set the stage for Let the World In to shine, writing on the piano, reality checks from recording, song sequencing, and more.

From your work with Billy Strings and Bruce Hornsby to your own music, you’ve always had a very collaborative way about you and this new record is no exception. What are your thoughts on the significance that played in the process of bringing this album to life?

John Mailander: Collaboration and improvisation are some of the most beautiful parts of being a musician. I love working with the widest variety of artists that I can. It’s a great way to become closer on a human level with the people you’re working with.

Initially, when I was starting this Forecast project, I envisioned it as more of a collective of musicians where we could all bring our own original tunes to the table and improvise freely. However, over time it’s formed into a more regular lineup with the six of us, allowing for the group to grow together as a unit.

Is the album title, Let the World In, meant to be a nod to that collaborative nature and outside influences that loom so large on the project?

Absolutely. The title has a lot of different angles to it. I hesitate to say everything it means to me because I don’t want to put it into too much of a box – I want to leave room for the listener to imagine what it means for them as well. It’s a follow-up to the last record [Look Closer] that we made in isolation during the pandemic.

While that record was very introspective, this new one is much more expansive, because of the world opening up more now and having this constant flood of information coming at us from all directions. It’s an overwhelming time to be alive, so this album feels like a companion piece to the last one, almost like the other side of the coin.

The title track also features the “Let the World In Sound Freedom Expressionists” – Hannah Delynn, Maya de Vitry, Gibb Droll, Ella Korth, Lindsay Lou, and Royal Masat. What was your intention with recruiting them for that one track, and what do you feel they brought to it that it may not have had otherwise?

They are a collection of very dear friends in Nashville who have been there for me in my personal life through a lot. It felt really important to me to credit these friends on the record in some way. That manifested into this collection of sound bites from each of them including poetry, sound effects, singing, and field recordings, which I put together into the sound collage you hear in the track. I love knowing that all of their voices are in there. I hope with each listen you can tune into different elements of it and hear new things.

In terms of outside influences on the record, I know Bruce Hornsby played a big role. What tricks and lessons from him did you implement into these songs?

Bruce is one of my greatest teachers. He’s been really encouraging over the past few years to pursue this project, grow into a band leader, and becoming more confident on the piano. I’m very rudimentary, but I’ve become obsessed with learning the piano recently, in large part thanks to Bruce and watching him play it so much. Everything on this record – except for the cover, “Road,” and the improvisational tracks – were ones I wrote on the piano, which was a huge change in direction for me.

I’ve also tried to incorporate elements of how he leads a band, like having dueling conversational solos rather than individual ones or weaving in and out of and finishing each other’s lines, into what we do with the Forecast as well.

Process-wise, how did the construction of these songs on the piano differ from when you’re composing on fiddle?

Going back to the title of this record, the piano gave it a wider scope compositionally for me, because I was thinking a lot more about bass lines and counter melodies and other things that as a fiddle player aren’t as prevalent. With the fiddle I think much more melodically – it’s kind of the top voice – which makes it harder for me to compose that way because even though it’s my primary instrument it’s hard to get a full picture with it. On the piano it felt more like writing for an entire ensemble rather than just writing a melody in chords.

You ended up knocking out the recording for this album during four consecutive days last year. What was it like doing it all rapid-fire like that compared to the more conventional, slow and steady approach?

It was intense, and we even recorded more than just what made it on the record. A lot of the work in post [production], for me, has been crafting everything we recorded into something that tells a story, which would’ve been tough to do across multiple sessions with the band over time, given that they’re all touring musicians as well. It felt good getting together with everyone from basically 10 to 6 every day and working our butts off as much as we could. It was the most concentrated and focused time we’ve ever had together as a band, as well as a reality check about things in the band we needed to work on.

It’s like putting a microscope on everything because we’ve been playing live at Dee’s every month for a few years, but now we’re in this hyper-focused environment where we can hear and analyze every minor detail. It opened up a lot of rabbit holes that I ended up going down later, but I think we really grew as a band through the process of making it this way.

You mentioned the time being a reality check for what you needed to work on as a band. What were some of those things?

It was like putting a microscope on how the particular instrumentation and individual voices on our instruments really blend and work together, revealing sonic and dynamic things that worked or not. It revealed some habits we’d gotten into through playing live that we discovered didn’t always translate to a record. The sessions were an awesome and intensive way to grow as a unit.

You’ve produced all of the Forecast records thus far. Is that something you plan to continue doing in the future?

Actually, the next record we do I’d like to have another producer. I love producing, but I’m realizing that for my own music I’d like to get another perspective in the room next time we do it. It’s really tough taking on both of those roles, but I’m really proud of what we did and grateful for producing it again this time around.

One of my favorite elements of the record is how well the songs flow from one into another – if listened through in order it presents almost as one long, 35-minute track. Tell me about sequencing this record and the importance for listeners to digest the full project from start to finish?

I’ve always been a nerd about sequencing records. I think it’s a really important part of the experience of listening to music. With this one I put a lot more attention into connecting the tracks. Some of them blend into one another, which is something that my mastering engineer Wayne Pooley – who I know through the Bruce Hornsby world – and I spent countless time laboring over the microseconds between every track to make sure each one hits you in a very intentional way.

Only one track on the album has lyrics – your cover of Nick Drake’s “Road.” Why’d you choose it, and what do you feel it contributes to the overall narrative you’re striving to present on the record?

[Nick’s] been a huge inspiration for years. Even as more of an instrumentalist I’ve always been drawn to his writing. But in terms of that song, I’ve known it for a while and love the entire record it’s on, Pink Man. About a year and a half ago – just before work on Let the World In began – I brought the song to the band. Nick Drake’s version is around two minutes long, but I thought it would be cool to use the song as a tool with our band to improvise and jam like we do at our live shows. We did just that by stretching it out to over nine minutes long. Lyrically it fits with the themes on the rest of the record, but it’s not heavy-handed either. It’s still open to interpretation, which is what I really value in it.

Initially I thought about having a guest vocalist on it, because on our last record we had a couple guest singers. But as we got closer and closer to the studio sessions I realized that it was important for me to sing this one myself, and I’m really proud with how it turned out.

If you could collaborate or have a jam session with any musician past or present, who would it be?

My hero, Trey Anastasio. It would be a dream to play or collaborate with him someday.

What has music, specifically when it comes to the creation process for Let the World In, taught you about yourself?

It’s allowed me to connect with my bandmates on a deeper level than I know how to do any other way. Through that I’m able to tap into those energies that exist between us as people, which is a type of connection I practice and strive to achieve every day.

Photo Credit: Michael Weintrob

WATCH: Reckless Kelly Go Behind the Scenes of “What’s Left of My Heart” Video

Posted on January 29, 2025June 10, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

Austin, Texas-based alt-country rockers Reckless Kelly released their music video for “What’s Left of My Heart” – from their 2024 album, The Last Frontier – a handful of months ago. Now, they’ve returned with a special “Pop-Up Music Video” that takes viewers behind the scenes of the making of the video. (Watch below.)

Bits of commentary, context, insight, facts, and fun “pop up” as noteworthy action occurs on screen, bringing outlaw country fans into the processes that led to the zany and fun visual rendition of the track. Set in the now-legendary South Austin honky-tonk Giddy Ups, just days before it permanently closed its doors, the video includes plenty of Easter eggs and details that would have easily gone overlooked if not for the illuminating pop-ups. Viewers follow frontman Willy Braun through a series of hijinx brought on – or enhanced by? – the band’s informal mantra, “sorry for partying.”

“We shot the entire video in about five hours after a show,” Willy’s brother and bandmate Cody Braun explains via press release, “So a ton of pre-prep and organizing had to happen. It was amazing to have friends, family, and musician buddies join us and bring this vision to life. Giddy Ups was one of our favorite spots, and as Austin changes, we wanted to give it a proper send-off.”

“What’s Left of My Heart” is certainly that send-off, but with so many collaborators, actors, cameos, industry folks, and special guests, the behind-the-scenes touches of the pop-up video help illustrate how important community and family are to the band over the decades. There’s so much to see and hear in “What’s Left of My Heart,” we don’t want to give any of it away! So don’t miss a single beat and watch Reckless Kelly’s new pop-up music video.

Want more Good Country? Sign up on Substack to receive our monthly email newsletter full of Good Country direct to your inbox.

Photo Credit: Robert Millage
Video Credit: Co-directed by Tony Gates and Cody Braun.

Alison Krauss & Union Station Announce ‘Arcadia,’ Their First Album in 14 Years

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

A few short weeks ago, Alison Krauss & Union Station made roots music waves announcing their first headlining tour since 2015, featuring dozens of dates stretching from April ’til September of this year. Now, the 14-time GRAMMY-winning bluegrass band is announcing their first album in 14 years, Arcadia, set for release on March 28 on Down The Road Records. This marks the return of Krauss & Union Station to collaborating with Rounder Records founders Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, Bill Nowlin, and John Virant, who recently began Down The Road Records. Decades ago, Irwin first signed the fiddle phenom when she was still a teenager.

With the album’s announcement, the band have released Arcadia‘s first single, “Looks Like the End of the Road,” a song written by Jeremy Lister that hearkens back to the emotive slow burns of classic AKUS albums like 1997’s So Long, So Wrong. (Listen above.) Gritty Dobro, by none other than Jerry Douglas of course, and pining mandolin tremolos are underpinned by sweeping pads and transatlantic textures. It all at once sounds like idiomatic Union Station while clearly signaling their transition from a former era to a newly minted one. “Looks Like the End of the Road” is an apropos beginning for this world-renowned group starting down a new highway.

“Usually, I find something that’s a first song, and then things fall into place,” says Krauss via press release. “That song was ‘Looks Like the End of the Road.’ Jeremy Lister wrote it, and it just felt so alive – and as always, I could hear the guys already playing it.”

“The guys,” at this juncture, include longtime band members Douglas, Ron Block, Barry Bales, and a new addition, Russell Moore, a 6-time winner of the IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award and a veteran frontman of bluegrass mainstays IIIrd Tyme Out.

“To say I’m excited about recording and touring with Alison Krauss & Union Station would be a huge understatement,” Moore gushed in the band’s December 2024 tour announcement. “After 40 years of playing music full-time and leading my own group for 34 years, this opportunity is among the few things at the top of the list that my music career has offered me. My hopes and desires are to fill this spot in AKUS with the same professionalism, precision, and thoughtfulness as other members who have held this position before me, and I’m looking forward to the ‘ride!'”

Tickets for the gargantuan Arcadia tour – which will feature special guest Willie Watson – are already on sale. Anticipation for the first studio album in 14 years from one of the most prominent and impactful bluegrass groups in history is remarkably high. Yet again, with Arcadia, Alison Krauss & Union Station are poised to bring their singular blend of bluegrass, Americana, adult contemporary, and stellar song interpretations to millions of fans and listeners around the world.

Want more? Listen to our exclusive Toy Heart interview with Alison Krauss here.

Photo Credit: Randee St. Nicholas

BGS 5+5: Olivia Wolf

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

(Welcome to another 5+5! Hit play, scroll, and get to know artists, creators, and roots musicians of all sorts with five questions and five songs.)

Artist: Olivia Wolf
Hometown: Leipers Fork, Tennessee
Latest Album: Silver Rounds

Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?

Gillian Welch. She has shown me that lyrics can be both beautiful and dark, honest and true. Her instrumentation is brilliantly simple and to see her play live is to transcend to a different plane.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

We played “The Wild” in Seattle, and I asked if anybody had gone fishing that day. A fella had been out that morning and caught three coho salmon. When the song started he closed his eyes and I knew he was back on the ocean in the breeze and the water. I love to see other people getting to escape through my music.

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

Photography, antiquing and home décor design, cooking, and hosting friends.

What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?

I love Daft Punk. Especially their song “Something About Us.” They influenced a lot of the cosmic aspect of my album and I greatly admire their lyrics and musicality.

If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?

There is nothing I could do instead, I am married to the music.

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

Chris Brundrett on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

Today on Only Vans we’re joined by Chris Brundrett from the award-winning William Chris Vineyards in Hye, Texas. We dig into wine-making, Texas wines, the creation of his label, and being your best self.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • AMAZON • MP3

I’m so excited to share this episode, even though I was a tad nervous – and you can tell by the way I talk too fast. Or was it the wine that we were drinking before noon…?

Anyway, in this episode of Only Vans I talk to one of the owners of one of my absolute favorite wineries, William Chris Vineyards, Chris Brundrett. I’ve never spoken to or met this man and usually I talk on this podcast about music, so this was really branching out for me. I love their wine and I’m also a huge fan of what they stand for. It’ll be so fun in 100 or 500 years to look back (well, for other people to look back) at this episode where I’m talking to someone who has been a true pioneer in the Texas wine industry. Chris has worked really hard to authentically label Texas wines and make the laws in our state require transparency, which I do a pretty bad job at explaining, but Chris does a great job clarifying.

I think it’s fascinating that Chris wanted to learn about wine-making before he was even 21. In our chat, he details his journey into finding his true passion in life; he’s an intelligent and approachable dude. Sorry I thought horticulture was the study of horses and didn’t know what entomology was, either.

We get into the William Chris Wine Club, which is a subscription where you receive six special releases per year and will also have the first option to purchase any new wines as soon as they’re bottled. You can look into that (especially because he said they have open spots!) at williamchriswines.com. But definitely go see the gorgeous tasting room when you’re in the Texas Hill Country area.

Thanks to Chris and the team gave us two really fancy wine glasses, and two incredible bottles of wine and a tour. What a great day! And thanks to our sponsors, Hand Drawn Pressing & CH Lonestar Promo!

Find our Only Vans episode archive here.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Max McNown, Miss Tess, and More

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

Wherever you are on this wintry week, we hope our collection of roots music premieres warms you all the way up. We expect it will!

In this edition of our premiere roundup, don’t miss a brand new track from stupendous string trio, The Devil Makes Three, who debuted “Ghosts Are Weak” from their upcoming album on Wednesday on BGS. Plus, there’s straight-ahead bluegrass to be found, too, from Tyler Grant, who pays homage to a towering train bridge on “Goat Canyon Trestle.”

Singer-songwriter Bre Kennedy has reimagined “Before I Have a Daughter,” a song co-written with Lori McKenna about breaking generational cycles, healing, and motherhood. (A theme shared with another premiere this week.) And, Tobacco & Rose repurpose a love song infused with a Buddhist twist with their new track, “Tara.”

In the mood for some music videos? Catch Leslie Jordan’s new video for a Sarah McCracken co-write, “The Fight,” that also grapples with parenthood, discipline, and family. And, the sensational Max McNown brings us the video for the title track for his brand new album, Night Diving, which releases today.

Just in time to shepherd out the once-in-a-lifetime blizzards across the Deep South, Miss Tess showcases her music video for “Louisiana,” a centerpiece of her upcoming album, Cher Rêve. Then Sarah Quintana, who calls New Orleans home, brings us down the road to the Big Easy with an artful music video made with Kat Sotelo for the title track of her soon-to-be-released project, BABY DON’T.

It’s all right here on BGS and, you know the drill – You Gotta Hear This!

The Devil Makes Three, “Ghosts Are Weak”

Artist: The Devil Makes Three
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
Song: “Ghosts Are Weak”
Album: Spirits
Release Date: January 22, 2025 (single); February 28, 2025 (album)
Label: New West Records

First & Latest: Half a Century of Gospel Dynasty The Isaacs

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

The Isaacs need no introduction. In gospel, bluegrass, and country circles they are well known for their convicting, heartfelt songs in the sacred tradition, demonstrating ardent faith through familial harmonies and a stunning polished, tight-knit sound.

They’ve been performing and recording as a group for 50 years, with their first commercial albums released now more than 30 years ago. They are veterans of the Grand Ole Opry, churches and bluegrass festivals all across the country, Gaither Homecoming, RFD-TV, and so many more roots music and gospel institutions.

In October of last year, the family – whose band consists of Lily and her children Ben, Sonya, and Becky – released a brand new album, Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah. And, whether heard by “secular” listeners or listeners of faith, the project is a pitch perfect continuation of the mission and message the Isaacs have brought with them across their entire 50 year career.

The collection, as always, is stirring, resonant, and warm. With crisp and clean stylings of modern worship music intermingled with country and string band touches. In an exclusive interview with BGS, we spoke to Sonya Isaacs via email about More Than A Hollow Hallelujah by comparing and contrasting their latest project with their first – A Labor Of Love, which was released in 1990 and Live in Atlanta, which arrived in 1992.

We spoke about the Isaacs’ longevity, their faith, what sacred music offers to all of us, and how it feels to look back on so many decades of making music together as a family and ministry. Gospel music and roots music have always gone hand-in-hand and the Isaacs demonstrate that connection, intuitively, in all that they do.

Your latest album, Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah, begins with the track, “Gratitude,” which I feel is a perfect place to start. This project is more than 30 years – nearly 35! – since your first releases. Can you speak a little bit about your longevity and what it means to you, at this point, to look back at such a prolific and productive career? I imagine you must practice a lot of gratitude.

Sonya Isaacs: We have been so so blessed to be doing what we love to do for the majority of our lives now! We are incredibly grateful for the journey that has brought us where we are today. The highs were high and the lows were low, but God has been with us and allowed us to live our dreams. A lot has changed about our sound, style, and even personnel since those humble beginnings, but one thing has remained and that is Christ is the center of everything that we do!

Gospel music and sacred music go hand-in-hand with American roots musics of all types. You all are comfortable in so many genres and styles, from bluegrass and country to contemporary Christian. I wonder what it means to you that gospel is such a big part of so many roots genres and how you see your own music fitting into different formats and styles of music?

When we started out 50 years ago, we never intended or dreamed that our music would cross over into different genres and styles. God has opened doors in different markets for us to get to take His message into. We don’t change who we are, we don’t change why we are there, we just sing and the songs do the work! It’s wonderful that so many different styles encompass the gospel message and we are grateful that we get to stand on different stages all around the world and be who we are. God is always the most important listener at our concerts.

What do you remember about the making of those first albums, A Labor of Love released in 1990 and Live in Atlanta released in 1992? Did you ever think or dream or assume you’d still be putting out records well into the 2020s? Was that always the hope or the plan?

I don’t think any of us were thinking too much about the future when we first started out recording almost 50 years ago. We were so excited to be in the moment and to get to be singing and recording, especially when we got our first major record deal in the late ’80s. Back then we weren’t very experienced as musicians or singers, and in the studio everything felt like a dream! We remember feeling nervous, excited, and grateful during those early years.

When we recorded the Live in Atlanta album and video, some of us were the most nervous we have ever been on stage. But it felt like a game-changing album once we finished the concert. There was a sweet spirit in that room that only God’s presence can bring. The songs we recorded on Live in Atlanta became some of our first to reach the top of the charts.

Now, a song you selected to spotlight from Live in Atlanta is “From the Depths of My Heart.” How did that track come into your repertoire and how does it strike you now, decades later, when you listen back?

“From the Depths of My Heart” was a song Ben and I wrote in a car riding from home in Morrow, Ohio, to our new home in LaFollette, Tennessee in 1992. I had just graduated high school the day before and we were all leaving behind all we’d ever known. The sad goodbyes with friends and loved ones were the inspiration for the song. It was like a gift God gave us to not only help us, but millions of other people who have needed the words over the years. It became our first number one song in gospel music, and remained in the charts for nearly 4 months. Looking back, it’s really the song that catapulted our career. We still get requests for that song all the time!

Obviously, there are so many connections between your music then and your music now, but I wonder what through lines or consistencies you see in your own body of work? What’s changed? What’s stayed the same?

As styles and technology have evolved, so has our sound. When we first started out, there was definitely more of a bluegrass trueness that came from our dad Joe Isaacs’ musical heritage. As the kids got older and began to play instruments and write songs, the style became more contemporary in general, but still was heavily influenced by the traditional bluegrass sound. Over the years we have done different albums with different styles; some country, some Americana, mostly gospel, bluegrass, and others, but the harmonies the Isaacs are known for have remained a constant. The instrumentation of guitar, mandolin, and bass have also remained a staple in our sound. Also, we have always been faithful to stick with lyrics that didn’t compromise the gospel in anyway.

It certainly feels like, from the outside looking in, the conviction you feel and the passion you bring to your music remains steadfast. What keeps you “in it,” making gospel, sacred, and Christian roots music?

We have always looked at our music as a ministry. Sometimes we are singing to the choir and sometimes to those who won’t even step inside a church door. We know that any talent we have comes from God, the Creator, and we love the faith aspect of our music. It is truly why we do what we do and we couldn’t imagine our music without Him being the center of it! He is everything to us, and our mission is to carry His love to the world.

Can you talk about “(More Than A) Hollow Hallelujah,” the title track, and how the song and its message became the cornerstone of this latest album?

When we decided to do an album of praise and worship covers, there was a song that came to my mind that I had started writing years ago. I had the chorus mostly finished and called the other three to come finish it with me just a few days before the session. It seemed like an important song to have on the record because it summed up everything the record was intended to say. Without sincerity, it’s all in vain. Jesus is looking for true worshippers and followers. It’s easy to get caught up in life’s rat race and hurdles, but it’s more important now than ever to show God how much we love, appreciate, and need Him. He responds to praise and that is something we have learned down through the years. The mysteries of God and the miracles we read about are found out in the deep. We shouldn’t be content to splash around on the shore. This song calls us out to the deep.

Looking ahead to the next 35 years, the next 50 years, what do you hope will be the Isaacs’ legacy over the upcoming few decades?

As we are all getting older together, it’s interesting to think about where we will be in 10, 20, 30 (if we’re lucky) years from now. We run so hard on a day-to-day basis that somehow it doesn’t feel like we are as old as we are – with our youngest Becky turning 50 in August this year! What we pray our legacy will be, when it’s all said and done, is a family who loved to sing and pray together, who loved to share the good news of Christ in song, and a family who never stopped striving to be the best they could be at their trade. We hope the songs we have written and recorded will live on in time as those we enjoy today from others who have gone before.

Is there anything else you’re reflecting on or want to add as you consider your First & Latest and your long, full careers?

Looking back, it seems good that you can’t look forward. We have learned that the journey is just as important as the destination, and if we could see some of the twists and turns, some of the disappointments, we would no doubt have chosen different paths. We have been so blessed to have made it to where we are today with God’s grace, but we sure have overcome our share of dark days. Many songs and testimonies have been written out of those dark days that have helped others get through them. By experiencing life’s struggles, we are equipped with the knowledge and experience to help others get through them, too. Don’t begrudge the hard journey – it’s where our faith is built and our wisdom is learned.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Basic Folk: Josh Kaufman

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

Multi-talented musician and producer Josh Kaufman is known for his work with Josh Ritter, The National, and his band Bonny Light Horseman. I’ve known Josh for many years, after meeting him in Pittsburgh while he was on tour with Dawn Landes. I felt instant friendship with him (and, honestly, with the entire Dawn Landes band that day). We haven’t seen each other very much over the last 15 years, but since he left that impression on me I’ve always rooted for him in his career.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • AMAZON • MP3

In our Basic Folk conversation, Josh shares anecdotes from his childhood, including memories of his journalist mother interviewing legendary musicians and the backstage snacks that left a lasting impression. He reflects on his early musical influences, the role of music in his family, and how his parents supported his passion for music from a young age. Then we dive into Josh’s experiences playing in bands in New York City during his high school years and how those formative experiences shaped his relationship with music and the city itself.

As a producer, Josh discusses his approach to working with artists by emphasizing the importance of capturing the raw, live energy of a performance. He talks about his instrumental album, What Do the People in Your Head Say to Each Other, and how embracing imperfection has become a central theme in his work. He also touches on his collaborations with notable musicians, including Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, and the impact of those experiences on his career. Josh Kaufman is the most sought out producer in roots music these days. Look out for him producing some great records in 2025 and beyond.

Photo Credit: James Goodwin

LISTEN: The Devil Makes Three, “Ghosts Are Weak”

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

In Their Words: “‘Ghosts Are Weak’ is about breaking free from destructive habits and patterns. It reflects on how leaving behind a substance or lifestyle often comes with losing certain friends along the way. The song also carries a warning– escapism only works for so long. Sooner or later, the drugs lose their grip, but the ghosts of those choices grow stronger. Through raw lyrics and a haunting melody, ‘Ghosts Are Weak’ captures the struggle of moving on and the shadows left behind.” – Pete Bernhard

Photo Credit: Jin Lee