WATCH: Abigail Lapell, “All Dressed Up”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Abigail Lapell
Hometown: Toronto
Song: “All Dressed Up”
Album: Stolen Time
Release Date: April 22, 2022
Label: Outside Music

In Their Words: “‘All Dressed Up’ is a fever dream of isolation and claustrophobia, circumscribed by all these obsolete media machines — but with a semi-hopeful note, too, about making the best of an absurd situation, or at least, ‘this too shall pass.’ And spring will come again. The video was shot in Austin, Texas during SXSW, with local filmmaker Max Conru. It was my first time at South-by, and first time out on the road in quite a while, so it was super fun getting to capture the early days of spring and visit some iconic Austin sightseeing spots.” — Abigail Lapell

Photo Credit: Jen Squires

Backed by Acoustic All-Star Musicians, Lyle Lovett Returns With “12th of June”

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Attention! New music from Lyle Lovett is on the way! After a long hiatus, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is back with a brand new album scheduled for a May 13 release. The singer has also announced an extensive tour for 2022, bringing along a full entourage to ensure no punches are pulled. Produced by Lovett and Chuck Ainlay, the new album will be released on Verve Records and will be titled 12th of June. The record will feature an eclectic palate of hand-selected songs that feature Lovett’s storytelling through the lenses of different musical styles, from Nat King Cole and Horace Silver to the more traditional country and folk stylings of Lovett’s own songs.

“My songs are rarely fiction,” Lovett says. “That’s how I approach my work. My songs are from my life. I am the character in these songs. I get to spend my life for the most part doing a job where I get to be myself.”

With the announcement of the record — his first all-new collection in 10 years — Lovett released the album’s title track with a music video that shows some behind the scenes of recording the project. An all-star band can be seen deep in the trenches of their work, bringing an already incredible song over the top with elegant lines, harmonies, and rhythmic support. Bryan Sutton, Paul Franklin, Sam Bush, and Stuart Duncan are just a few of the masters that are on this record, but the simple truth is that this song would jump out of the speakers if it were sung a capella by the writer alone. Check out Lyle Lovett’s “12th of June” below.

Photo Credit: Michael Wilson

Basic Folk – Amy Correia

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

LA-based singer-songwriter Amy Correia will tell you that she is not a prolific writer, which… okay maybe she doesn’t write a million songs in one year, but holy crap, those songs and that voice will wallop you. Originally from Lakeville, Massachusetts, Amy’s musical roots lay in New York City’s Lower East Side in a scene that produced Jeff Buckley, Richard Julian and Jesse Harris.

 

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She discovered her musical voice while recovering from a back injury her junior year of college. She was actually a big fan of laying in bed and doing nothing but writing songs and playing around on her guitar. After college, she was playing around and got offered a major label deal, recorded an album with seven different producers and countless musicians, left her label and signed another deal, which would eventually become the place where she released her debut, Carnival Love, in the year 2000. Another album followed in 2004 (fan funded) and another in 2010 (also fan funded). She opened for big acts like Chrissie Hynde, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson and Marc Cohn. She started living in Boston, fully embraced by “a collective of musicians who uplifted her with their creative camaraderie,” which included Kimon Kirk who turned out to be one of her most important friends and collaborators.

Kimon encouraged Amy to record this new batch of songs on her latest release, the EP As We Are, which just came out in March 2022. During our conversation, Amy revealed that the recording session took place in 2015, but she wasn’t ready to release the music until now. Kimon had persuaded her to revisit the songs during the pandemic and the plan was set in motion for the EP. We also discussed Amy’s connection to spirituality, her affinity and experience in the theater world and letting go of control. She also opens up about her relationship to her singing voice, which is so special and always digs deep in me every time I hear it. I hope you enjoy this wonderful and vulnerable conversation with Amy Correia!

Photo Credit: Chris Strother

BGS 5+5: Joshua Hedley

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Artist: Joshua Hedley
Hometown: Naples, Florida
Latest Album: Neon Blue
Personal Nicknames: Mr. Jukebox

Which artist has influenced you the most…and how?

I found Bob Wills at a very young age. Probably 10 years old or somewhere around there. I was instantly obsessed. He really struck a chord with me. Something about the blend of country and jazz resonated with me and particularly inspired me to be better at my instrument. I would lock myself in my parent’s bathroom with a CD player and my fiddle and just wear out this Bob Wills greatest hits CD for hours, trying to learn all the fiddle parts and solos and stuff. It really strengthened my ear at that age when you just soak up knowledge like a sponge. I probably wouldn’t be playing at the level I’m at today if I hadn’t discovered Bob Wills when I was so young.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

Honestly, it’s almost like I was born into it. I don’t remember the first moment I knew. I just always did. I asked my parents for a fiddle when I was 3. They told me to ask again when I was older, and I did, five years later. They got me one when I was 8 and I just took to it almost instantly. I just knew that’s what I was going to do with my life from then on. I started playing for real, professionally in bands, when I was about 12 and after that it was all over. That was it. I decided then I was going to move to Nashville and play country music for the rest of my life.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I always have a tough time writing. More specifically with finding inspiration and focus. I had this brief period of inspiration when I wrote Mr. Jukebox, but before that and ever since, I’ve always had a hard time writing. I struggle with ADHD, so it’s hard for me to stay focused on a single idea long enough to write a whole song. There’s also a level of self confidence needed to be a great writer that I lack. I can recognize a great song that someone else wrote, but even if other people tell me how much they love my songs, I always second-guess them myself. I always feel embarrassed playing my own music.

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

Don’t read your press. Especially the reviews. Good or bad, they’ll affect your ego negatively. Someone once told me when I was just a kid, “You’re never as bad as they say you are, but you’re never as good as they say you are either.” You can’t control what people write about you. If it’s negative, it can crush you, but if it’s positive, it can inflate your ego too much. Neither of those things are good for you. Staying away from your own press seems like good advice to me, even if I don’t always take it.

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

You can probably tell just by looking at me that I enjoy food. I like everything from Michelin Star to Taco Bell. My buddy Sean Brock is absolutely crushing the food game in Nashville right now. It’d be cool to do a show where he catered it. Maybe do a bunch of traditional Florida foods like gator tail, smoked mullet, frog legs, Cuban sandwiches, key lime pie — stuff like that. Then me and Elizabeth Cook and Wade Sapp can play a bunch of country music from Floridian artists like Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Slim Whitman, Vassar Clements, John Anderson, Terri Gibbs, Gary Stewart (not actually Floridian, but we claim him), etc. Actually…I kind of want to make that happen now.

Photo Credit: Joshua Black Wilkins

LISTEN: Wood Willow, “So Much Runnin'”

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Artist: Wood Willow
Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Song: “So Much Runnin'”
Album: Southern Intentions
Release Date: April 22, 2022

In Their Words: “A few months after recording, in February of 2021 there was a massive snow storm. The temperature was in the negatives for days and snow was at least a foot deep. Lucas Gillette, our bass player, had hung out with us during pretty much the whole pandemic, and one day that it wasn’t actively snowing we all decided it’d be a good idea to shoot a music video out in the elements. Joel and Lucas were the main creative minds behind the concept. We all brainstormed and came up with the idea to shoot out at some abandoned trains outside of town. We thought that the setting matched the drifter/rebellious nature of the song perfectly. We got dressed and bundled up as best we could and made the trek across town to shoot our first music video (don’t try this at home, kids). The video was shot by Lucas all on his iPhone over the course of probably five extremely cold hours. I remember the high that day was only 8 degrees, and that’s definitely something we aren’t used to.

“Lucas was originally supposed to be included in the video, but apparently our camera work wasn’t as good as his, because we didn’t get any usable footage of him. Thankfully one of the three of us could work the camera! We shot at a couple different locations, including a park, and even in the car for a few scenes. While we were on the trains we had to take pretty frequent breaks and warm up in the car during the process. I think it was one of the coldest days I had ever experienced, but it was well worth it. About halfway through the day we shot, Joel asked us if we were crazy or if it would even turn into anything cool. This video was our first true music video (excluding live performances) to shoot, and one of the first that Lucas had ever shot on his own. We have always been more of a DIY band, and to see the finished video turn out like it did made us pretty proud of ‘So Much Runnin’.’” — Becca Herrod, Wood Willow

Photo Credit: Molly Herrod

LISTEN: Dom Flemons, “Steel Pony Blues”

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Artist: Dom Flemons
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Song: “Steel Pony Blues”
Album: Americana Railroad
Release Date: June 17, 2022
Label: Renew/BMG

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Steel Pony Blues’ after reading The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, an autobiography written by the famous black cowboy Nat Love in 1907. Born into slavery in 1854, Nat Love left his native Tennessee for Holbrook, Arizona, following Emancipation and began working as a cowboy on the range. He became known as ‘Deadwood Dick’ after demonstrating his skill at shooting, riding and roping at a cowboy contest in the Hills of South Dakota. The name ‘Deadwood Dick’ would go on to gain legendary status in dime novels, eventually discarding the real legend and the man with it. This prompted Love to write his own book about his own life and adventures claiming each word to be the honest truth.

“By 1890, Nat Love would become a railroad porter on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad continuing to ride the range on a ‘steel pony.’ I became intrigued by Nat Love’s life story and it opened my eyes to an aspect of my own family story based in Northern Arizona. My paternal grandparents migrated from East Texas and Arkansas to Northern Arizona in a similar manner to Nat Love. They were driven by the same desire for a better life than the one that could be found on the farm. In the last verse, I say ‘They call Mr. Flemons, cause I done tore that guitar down,’ which is a sentiment of the progress that I have seen in my own lifetime being two generations removed from the farm, having now traveled the world performing American roots music that reflect my cultural values of movement and progress.

“I chose this song for the Americana Railroad album because it presents the image of working class Pullman porters, like Nat Love, who used their freedom to forge their own destiny on the technological marvel of their time: the train. This is a powerful collection of songs and I’m glad to be a part of it.” — Dom Flemons, The American Songster

Photo Credit: Timothy Duffy

WATCH: Jim Hurst, “Weary Old Highway” (Feat. Darin & Brooke Aldridge)

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Artist: Jim Hurst
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Song: “Weary Old Highway” (feat. Darin & Brooke Aldridge)
Album: From the Ground Up
Release Date: July 1, 2022
Label: Pinecastle Records

In Their Words: “Road musicians are driven by desire, the pulling of what lies ahead, and searching for opportunities to grow, learn, and perfect — as much as possible — their craft, their art. But not perfection really, because to play the perfect performance, set, song, solo, last note… is extraordinary and uncommon. And maybe that’s the way it should be, because not unlike so many explorers, most if not all artisans/musicians/songwriters are always looking for the unknown ‘next.’ Once found, we want, need really to go for something. Something else, something further than what we have found.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a road musician, songwriter, troubadour of sorts… and kinda doing it my way. And sometimes I find a song written by another of the same ilk that I am so fond of I request to cover it on a recording project and/or perform it live. Such is the case with Keith Little’s ‘Weary Old Highway,’ a road musician’s journal of sorts. I first heard this song on Keith’s Distant Land to Roam CD, and immediately fell in love with the song. Years later, I asked him if I could get his permission to record my version of it, and he graciously said yes. So I did, on my newest project: From the Ground Up on Pinecastle Records. I had wonderful musician friends to help me: Kristin Scott Benson (banjo), Wayne Benson (mandolin), Shawn Lane (fiddle), Ethan Burkhart (bass), Darin Aldridge (tenor vocal), and Brooke Aldridge (high baritone vocal). Oh, and Keith gave my version his approval… which matters to me. I hope you approve as well!” — Jim Hurst

Photo Credit: Pinecastle Records

BGS 5+5: Carley Arrowood

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Artist: Carley Arrowood
Hometown: Newton, North Carolina
Latest Album: Goin’ Home Comin’ On
Personal nicknames: My really close friends call me “Carl,” mostly against my will. Also I did marry Mr. Daniel Thrailkill, and I did take his name! But it was his idea for me to keep Arrowood for my music stuff.

What artist has influenced you the most, and how?

Oh, gracious. There are literally SO many artists/fiddlers who have left an impact on me in some special way. I definitely have to say Alison Krauss for one. She effortlessly executes everything. Y’all already know. I’ve also really learned and have been trying to remember the past several years that not everything has to be super fancy, as long as it’s tasteful and intentional, so another fiddler I look up to is Stuart Duncan. Again, effortless, gorgeous playing, and the man knows where longer, breathier bows fit perfectly. I’m loving picking up on that. Jim VanCleve is another one. The first time I heard his playing as a teenager I thought, “How in the world is he making his fiddle sound like an electric guitar?!” And I learned that trick, too. The group Celtic Woman also had an enormous impact on me as a little girl, and because of their original fiddler Mairead Nesbitt, I have an extra love for the Celtic flair. I still can’t dance and play, though. I could keep going but I have four more questions to answer. Haha!

What’s your favorite memory from being onstage?

Again, too many to count, but one that has come back to mind a lot recently is when I was playing in my teen group Most Wanted Bluegrass. We were about to finish a set down in Walhalla, South Carolina, maybe had three songs left. My sister Autumn was taking a mandolin break so I was chopping behind her. Next thing I know, I hit my E string with the frog of my bow and I literally chopped it in half. It was SO funny! The sad part was, I’d just cleaned out my fiddle case and didn’t have an extra string, so I just stood up there and clapped along with the band. Good times!

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

I wouldn’t call it a ‘ritual’, but I do try to remember to talk to the Lord and pray before (or during) anything like recording or performing onstage. Because a lot of times I get so caught up in the hype and the applause and good times, and even in getting it right, that I admit I forget where it all comes from in the first place. God gave the gift of music, so I ask Him to help me remember to glorify Him in everything I do. I’m just a sinful human, but He is so worthy of everything.

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

Like I said earlier, I’ve tried to really hone in and know that not everything has to be flashy and fancy, especially since stepping into a solo career. Years ago when I was recording for Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Darin told me “less is more,” and that has stuck with me a lot, even as a fiddle teacher. Also here recently, I had the privilege of talking to Sierra Hull and she told me to just play “whatever I could, whenever I could, wherever I could,” and I just really loved that! If I’m going all in with this thing, I just gotta do it and not be afraid. I’m thankful for both of those phrases.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

Daniel and I love to hike and be in the mountains when we can. We love chasing waterfalls and sunsets and just seeing the vibrant colors of the last light of day. We also love spending time on our front porch in the warmer months, feeling the breeze and the sunshine on our faces. All of that just makes me feel really small, and magnifies the majesty of Jesus and His love toward us, so it’s just really refreshing and inspiring for new creativity. I personally love when springtime comes around and everything is made new again. It’s like new possibilities on the horizon!

Photo Credit: Laci Connell, High Lonesome Sound Photography

LISTEN: Steve Forbert, “Buffalo Nickel”

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Artist: Steve Forbert
Hometown: Neptune, New Jersey
Song: “Buffalo Nickel”
Album: Moving Through America
Release Date: May 13, 2022
Label: Blue Rose

In Their Words: “As the white man’s culture moved ever westward, two elements that were very negatively affected by it all were the Native American culture AND the millions of range roaming buffalo that were slaughtered for sport by the likes of ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody. In circulation from 1913 to 1938, the Buffalo nickel is pretty ironic when you think about it. On one side a profile of an American Indian, on the other side, a buffalo! This five-cent coin was in everyday use for twenty-five years!” — Steve Forbert

Photo Credit: Marcus Maddox

LISTEN: Erika Lewis, “A Thousand Miles”

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Artist: Erika Lewis
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “A Thousand Miles”
Album: A Walk Around the Sun
Release Date: April 29, 2022

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘A Thousand Miles’ nearly a decade ago when I was living in New Orleans. It was inspired by a new love and was one of those tunes that seemed to write itself one night sitting on the front porch. The essence of the song is really about choosing love and hoping for the best. That lover and I have long since parted ways but the sentiment still feels relevant. The recording features Shaye Cohn (Tuba Skinny) on fiddle and harmony vocals, Megan Coleman on drums, John James Tourville (The Deslondes) on pedal steel and electric guitar, Dennis Crouch on upright bass, and Casey Wayne McAllister on Wurlitzer.” — Erika Lewis

Photo Credit: Sarrah Danziger