Artist:Maya de Vitry Hometown: Lancaster, Pennsylvania Song: “Working Man” Release Date: January 8, 2021 Label: Mad Maker Studio
In Their Words: “When I was writing this song last summer I was thinking about the creation of the railroads in the United States, imagining the distance between the hands that physically laid the tracks and the statues and wealth and legacy of the men we remember as having ‘built’ the railroads. I was reflecting on the respect and dignity and security we all long for, the satisfaction of doing a job well done, the pride of being part of something greater than ourselves. The pandemic has elevated and made more visible some of the more underpaid and overworked people in our society, and it’s also made us face the instability of work in general. I was thinking about how so often the blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice of so many benefit the super-comfort of so few. How can we reimagine our society, and reimagine work, with the empathy and perspective we’ve gained from this last year?” — Maya de Vitry
Artist:Rory Feek Hometown: Columbia, Tennessee Song: “Time Won’t Tell” (written by Harlan Howard and Beth Nielsen Chapman) Album:Gentle Man Release Date: June 18, 2021 Label: Gaither Music Group
In Their Words: “I first heard this song in the mid-’90s when I was writing for Harlan Howard, and he and Beth wrote it. I’ve always loved it and my wife Joey and I even had it on a shortlist to record for her to sing one day. All these years later, the lyric is even more special to me. It’s been five years since Joey passed, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wonder what life might be like if she was still here. If it was her tucking our little girl Indiana in bed at night and not just me. What the song says is so true… sometimes, ‘time won’t tell.'” — Rory Feek
Artists:Cat Clyde & Jeremie Albino Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Song: “Hello Stranger” (The Carter Family cover) Album:blue blue blue Release Date: May 21, 2021 Label: Cinematic Music Group, Majesticsilk (CAN)
In Their Words: “It’s amazing to think the first recording of this old folk song was done about 80 years ago. It feels sad, but also beautiful. Playing with the perspectives brings out the vulnerability in the song. We’re all strangers really — but great connection can come from this knowing and an openness can unfurl that may not be there with someone you are already close to.” — Cat Clyde & Jeremie Albino
Artist:Maggie Pope Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Song: “The Bird Painter” Release Date: June 25, 2021
In Their Words: “‘The Bird Painter’ was written after a conversation I had with a songwriting mentor of mine: Steve Varney, frontman of Kid Reverie, and banjoist/guitarist for Gregory Alan Isakov. It was a nod to my love of ‘train songs’ as we called them… those that have a steady, relatively unchanging chord progression as a foundation. Humble little tunes that invite the listener to embark on more of a meditative, introspective journey rather than incorporating a more traditional song structure with a big chorus (which is also fun).
“Steve ended up producing this one, arranging and adding almost all of the elements beyond my own vocal and acoustic guitar; that cool electric slide, his warm vocal, and a tambourine that suddenly made me realize that tambourine sounds are some of my favorite sounds in the world. Music will do that sometimes. My dear friend (and another musical mentor) Adam Monaco then topped things off with a perfectly simple piano addition that somehow and inexplicably captures my love of twinkly lights. Music will do that sometimes, too.” — Maggie Pope
Artist:Travis Linville Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma Latest Album:I’m Still Here
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
I get asked this question a whole lot. Influences evolve and change and sometimes even fall off the map. What was a big influence at one time isn’t later and it all goes into the same stew of musical expression. The first few songs I was inspired to learn on guitar were Hank Williams songs, but no way I would say Hank is my biggest influence. As a musician, I could say my personal guitar mentor Joe Settlemires or maybe the deep dive we took into the great Harlem composers like Thelonious Monk. There were several years of my youth where I listened mostly to hip hop and R&B. When I was a dishwasher at a BBQ restaurant the kitchen staff only listened to classic rock radio from the ’70s and that was a big influence at the time.
My favorite artist is probably Bob Dylan, but I think that has to do with things that go beyond songs and music. My grandparents and family played music so I grew up around country music like Ray Price or Lefty Frizzell. I love that era and soaked it all in. The Delta blues and its journey up the river to electricity is the most foundational and arguably America’s biggest musical influence. Motown is a really important influence and I heard all those great songs on the oldies station in my parents car. In 2020 I listened to more lo-fi instrumental beats than anything else. There are a lot of influences and they are all important.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
You may have gathered that I don’t play favorites so I’ll give you two. When I was 21 years old I found myself in Luckenbach, Texas, at the Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic. I was playing guitar for Claude Gray who was the first person to ever have a hit with a Willie Nelson song. I was a young guitar player working small clubs in Oklahoma and it was just a complete stroke of luck that I found myself on this big stage. At one point while we were playing, the crowd went wild and I realized Willie Nelson was walking out to sing with us. That moment was a beginning for me and at the same time my biggest moment. Years later I was asked to be a part of a Tulsa “all-star” house band backing up several artists on a benefit show. At the end of the night I was on stage with a big group of my best music buddies backing up a sing-along led by Kris Kristofferson doing “Me and Bobbie McGee.” Joy Ely, Arlo Guthrie, Jessi Colter, John Densmore from the Doors and a whole bunch of other legendary folks were up there. That was a special moment.
What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?
If I ever feel like I’m having a tough time writing a song, I take it as a sign that I’m not in the correct frame of mind. Mostly songwriting comes pretty easy. It can be tough deciding when a song is done, but overall I think songwriting isn’t as mysterious as folks would like to think it is. It’s more about doing the work with a free spirit initially and then continuing to tinker, edit, and make it better. Songwriting usually gets tough when you allow your filter to get involved. I think the master key is all about getting rid of your filter and not being afraid to say anything even if it seems cliché, simple, wacky, or plain stupid. The big secret is you just go ahead and say it anyway and then come back and change it later… if it doesn’t grow on you. It’s like a crossword puzzle but with multiple correct answers. So the only hard part is committing to which correct answer you want to use. In the grand scheme of things songs are pretty simple. Anyone could write one, but the reason not everyone does is because most folks won’t allow themselves to go without a filter. That filter is a good thing in daily life, but not in songwriting.
If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?
Mission statement: “Wow I can’t believe that I’ve been able to keep this guitar guy and ‘making up songs'” thing going as a career for 25 years! I hope I can keep it going.” Additional note to mission statement: The music business isn’t music. Music has nothing to do with business. Someone can make music their business, but they aren’t the same thing. I can play music in my own living room for no one and get just as much enjoyment as playing on a stage in a venue. That wasn’t always true but it definitely is now. I can’t make a living playing in my living room, but I can enjoy it a whole lot. I think too often people talk about “music” strictly within the confines of the people who are in the music business, making records and investing time and money to get their music heard and build a fan base. Music is way, way bigger and more personally important than all that. Music is my love. I’m lucky to have been able to make a go in the music business from an early age. I try to make sure I never get those things mixed up.
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
I love this question and this particular subject of songwriting!! … With the exception of the word “hide.” I would say it isn’t hiding as much as it is just writing a song. With nearly every song I write I play with the element of “you,” “me,” “I,” “we,” etc. It’s so important!! I’ll often try a song from a few different perspectives after it’s finished and usually one will be the obvious best choice. There is no hiding in a song. I truly believe that unless the song is painfully literal, what the writer meant or how lyrics apply to the writer’s life should be fully irrelevant to the song itself. The song itself is meant to be listened to with an open mind and heart and in my opinion it should stand alone without reference to “here is the story.” I know that fans of songwriters love these stories, but for me that’s just an opportunity to make up untrue fictional backstories just like I make up songs.
2020 was a year of many things – COVID-19, existential elections, the shuttering of the music industry, and on and on – but one common, non-catastrophic throughline of the musical variety was cover songs. Many musicians and artists, finding themselves with more free time than usual and more standard-fare albums and cross-continental tours back-burnered, took the opportunity to explore live records, collaborations, and yes, covers. From Molly Tuttle to Wynonna, livestreams to socially-distanced shows, covers became an unofficial pandemic pastime.
Now, in 2021, many of these cover projects conceived and created in 2020 have made it to store shelves – digital and otherwise – and we’ve collected ten tributes worth a listen:
Shannon McNally covers Waylon Jennings
It’s fitting that Shannon McNally released The Waylon Sessions on Compass Records, whose headquarters now occupies “Hillbilly Central.” As Tompall Glaser’s former studio, the building helped give rise to country’s outlaw movement and it’s where Waylon himself recorded. With guests like Jessi Colter, Buddy Miller, Rodney Crowell, and Lukas Nelson, the project recontextualizes Waylon Jennings’ material, which is usually associated with hyper-masculine wings of the country scene. As McNally puts it in a press release, “What Waylon Jennings brought to country music is what country music needs right now, and that unapologetic and vulnerable sense of self are what women are tapping into artistically right now as the industry evolves.”
Steve Earle covers Justin Townes Earle
Many a musical child has covered their parents’ catalogs in retrospect, but it’s rare that we see the reverse. A gorgeous, gutting, and laid-bare album, Steve Earle’s J.T. is a ten-song tribute to his son, Justin Townes Earle, who passed away suddenly in August 2020, shocking the Americana and folk communities. Earle’s signature emotion bristles and crackles throughout the project, giving Justin Townes’ songs an even stronger quality of visceral electricity. Proceeds from the album will go to a trust for Etta St. James Earle, Justin Townes’ daughter and Steve’s granddaughter.
The Infamous Stringdusters cover Bill Monroe
Spread out from North Carolina to Colorado and beyond, the Infamous Stringdusters utilized home recording from their respective studios during the pandemic to accomplish musical creativity their jam-packed schedule hadn’t really allowed in the “before times.” Their brand new EP, A Tribute to Bill Monroe, returns the virtuosic jamgrass outfit to territory familiar to those who first found the group when they were cutting their teeth, striding out from traditional bluegrass into the vast, expansive newgrass-and-jamgrass unknown. The project illustrates that the true strength of this ensemble is found in utilizing traditional bluegrass aesthetics for their own creative purposes. For example, you might listen through the entire record without realizing the Stringdusters made a Bill Monroe tribute album without mandolin!
Mandy Barnett covers Billie Holiday
Mandy Barnett is a cross-genre chameleon; between her talent, her voice’s timeless Americana tinge, and her appetite for classics — from Nashville staples to the American songbook — she often finds herself reaching far beyond Music Row and classic country to R&B, standards, and in her most recent release, Billie Holiday covers. Every Star Above was recorded in 2019, pre-pandemic, and includes ten songs from Holiday’s 1958 Lady in Satin album – songs previously also covered by Frank Sinatra, Dinah Washington, and many, many others. The project feels akin to Linda Ronstadt’s pop and big band forays, never fully detached from Barnett’s country roots, but built atop their solid foundation. In another Ronstadt-esque move, Barnett partnered with recently departed jazz arranger Sammy Nestico; Every Star Above was the award-winning composer’s final project.
Charley Crockett covers James Hand
Country-western crooner Charley Crockett is truly prolific, having released nine full-length albums in the past six years. As the story goes, before his friend, acclaimed Texan singer-songwriter James “Slim” Hand passed away unexpectedly about a year ago, Crockett promised he would record his songs. “Lesson in Depression” captures the sly, winking quality of the best sort of sad-ass country, which isn’t burdened by its own melodrama. While it’s certain Crockett (as Tanya Tucker would put it) would have rather brought Slim his flowers while he was living, there’s a poignancy in how 10 For Slim – Charley Crockett Sings James Hand, like Earle’s J.T., immediately demonstrates how these impactful musical legacies will live on.
Lowland Hum cover Peter Gabriel
Lowland Hum’s album covering Peter Gabriel’s So — which they’ve cutely and aptly entitled So Low — began as a passing joke, but the folk duo of husband-and-wife Daniel and Lauren Goans followed the passion and fun that led them to Gabriel’s hit 1986 release, quickly unspooling the passing whim into inspiration for a full-blown project. “We already loved the iconic record, but in translating Gabriel’s melodies and otherworldly arrangements,” they explain on their website, “we fell even deeper in love with the songs, Gabriel’s voice, and his uncanny ability to fully inhabit both vulnerability and playfulness…” Their “quiet music,” minimalist approach is well suited to the material and the entire project is incredibly listenable, comforting, and subtly envelope-pushing.
Chrissie Hynde covers Bob Dylan
After The Bard released “Murder Most Foul” and “I Contain Multitudes” early in 2020 (and in the pandemic) founder, singer, songwriter, and guitarist for The Pretenders Chrissie Hynde was inspired to once again revisit Dylan’s catalog – a limitless fount of material with which she was already intimately familiar. Her new album, Standing in the Doorway, features nine Dylan tracks recorded with fellow Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne – almost exclusively via text message – and for their coronavirus YouTube video series. Hynde opts for deeper cuts, showcasing her affinity for swaths of Dylan’s career often overlooked by other would-be cover-ers. This classic, “Tomorrow is a Long Time,” feels appropriately sentimental and longing, a perfect encapsulation of the day-to-day of the realities of the pandemic, filtered through a Bob Dylan lens and Hynde’s distinctive voice.
Various Artists cover John Lilly
John Lilly is a songwriter’s songwriter. Based in West Virginia, his original music has been covered by modern legends like Tim O’Brien, Kathy Mattea, and Tom Paxton. April In Your Eyes: A Tribute to the Songs of John Lilly gathers various artists from the folk, old-time, and bluegrass communities – in West Virginia and otherwise – spotlighting the incredible depth and breadth of Lilly’s catalog. The title track is stunningly rendered by Maya de Vitry and Ethan Jodziewicz, who were connected with Lilly originally through West Virginia’s iconic old-time pickers’ gathering affectionately referred to as “Clifftop.” Paxton, O’Brien, and Mattea all make appearances on the project, as do Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay, Bill Kirchen, and many other members of Lilly’s musical family and inner circle, giving the project an intentional and intimate resonance.
American Aquarium cover ’90s Country Hits
BJ Barham’s American Aquarium dropped a surprise album, Slappers, Bangers, & Certified Twangers: Volume One in May. Featuring ten covers of some of the band’s favorite ‘90s country hits, it’s a dose of all-star-tribute-concert packaged in a pandemic-friendly stay-at-home-form – and available on John Deere Green vinyl, of course. One particularly sad casualty of the coronavirus pandemic has been these sorts of musical nostalgia bombs – when was the last time any of us attended a theme night or tribute show at say, the Basement East in Nashville or Raleigh, NC’s The Brewery? – and Slappers, Bangers, & Certified Twangers has us in the mood to attend the first ‘90s country covers live show possible now that things are finally reopening.
Various Artists cover John Prine
A year without Prine seems far, far too long to travel with such a Prine-shaped hole in our musical hearts. But his presence and legacy certainly still loom large; the Prine family has announced “You Got Gold: Celebrating the Life & Songs of John Prine,” a series of special concerts and events held across various venues in Nashville in October. Oh Boy Records is also planning to release a new tribute record, Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2, to coincide with You Got Gold. The first two tracks from the project that have already been unveiled feature Sturgill Simpson performing “Paradise” and Brandi Carlile’s rendition of “I Remember Everything,” which you can hear above. Each month until October, the Prine family and Oh Boy will release another song from the project, unveiling special guests who each pay tribute to Prine, his songs, and the enormous vacuum his loss has left in the roots music industry.
Welcome to the BGS Radio Hour! Since 2017, this weekly radio show and podcast has been a recap of all the great music, new and old, featured on the digital pages of BGS. This week, we bring you new music from our June Artist of the Month, Chris Thile, as well as Robert Finley, Oliver Wood, and much more! Remember to check back every week for a new episode of the BGS Radio Hour.
Singer-songwriter Robert Finley first picked up a guitar at age 11. He was raised in Jim Crow-era Louisiana amongst a family of sharecroppers and knew from a young age that his dream was to sing. Now, at sixty-seven-years-old, that dream is alive and well with his newly-released, third solo album, Sharecropper’s Son, made in collaboration with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. BGS recently caught up with Finley to talk about the new album, and how his upbringing and vast life experiences have shaped his music.
For David Swick of DoomFolk StarterKit, recording any of Gillian Welch’s work is an honor. His cover of “Look at Miss Ohio” has a balance of lightness and melancholy in its’ arrangement, which Swick says represents the song’s theme of “making peace with uncertainty.”
Zach Person was inspired to write “Wanna Fly” after reflecting upon the social and political intensity of 2020. He cites “Dylan-esque” protest songs and the openness of the western plains as the two main influences of this powerful track.
“Call Me Up,” from Lula Wiles’ new album, Shame and Sedition, is a lighter track amongst an album that aims to transform listeners and enact change. Between tender harmonies and mellow piano chords, the trio describes meeting with an old acquaintance, singing, “I know you’ve been taking it rough / You gotta just call me up.”
BGS spoke with Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers for a 5+5 in support of his new solo record, Always Smilin’. He told us about his biggest influences — from Ray Charles to Levon Helm — as well as how hard times can be processed through songwriting. When asked to write a mission statement for his career, he stated: “Just be completely yourself, because that’s all you have, and that’s enough.”
Dana Sipos’ “Breathing Barrel” is a meditation of being at peace with the present moment. Written immediately upon returning home to the city from a music residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts, deep in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, this song is an attempt to integrate a very powerful experience into the more mundane, everyday life.
Shannon McNally reimagines Waylon Jennings’ “This Time” by giving the lyrics a personal spin — singing not about a lover, but instead about her relationship with the music business as an artist and as a woman. For McNally, the song’s directness is a breath of fresh air, and it helped her get into the headspace that permitted her to sing the rest of the album.
The name Chris Thile is likely familiar to fans in any corner of roots music. Growing up in southern California, Thile rose to popularity with his childhood (and sometimes still adult) band Nickel Creek, and has since helped form the Punch Brothers, the Goat Rodeo Sessions, and other noteworthy collaborations. However, this summer Thile brings something special — a completely solo album entitled Laysongs. In celebration, he is our Artist of the Month, so be sure to stick around all month long for exclusive content from Chris Thile.
Mara Connor recorded “Old Man” at the same age Neil Young was when he wrote it about a caretaker who lived on his ranch. When she first heard the track, she was struck by the amount of empathy the songwriter exhibited at such a young age. Connor states that the song is an affirmation of how the world would be a better place if we took the time to see the humanity in each other’s eyes.
2020 was a difficult year for us all, and it seems that we need uplifting music more now than ever before. “Thankful” is just that. The lyrics are a powerful reminder of the things we have to be grateful for and of the important things in life.
Inspired by their recent release and the blooming of spring, Rising Appalachia’s Leah Song created a Mixtape for BGS, entitled Rising Appalachia’s Love Songs for Blooming Spring. The playlist features heartbreakers and heart-menders from John Prine to Hozier that are sure to make your heart bloom.
Eli Lev’s “As It Is” began to develop halfway through a 10-day meditation retreat he went on near the Florida coast at the beginning of the year. He states, “I experienced silent sunrises over the ocean and brilliant sunsets over the bay that brought on infinite color variations and led me to a unique insight that everything is changing while staying exactly ‘as it is’ in every moment.”
Featuring the sweet sounds of classic country twang and harmonies by singer-songwriter Michaela Anne, Kyle Lalone’s “Learning How to Love” is a song that details the process of understanding how to be a good partner and showing up for someone in a relationship.
Photos: (L to R) Robert Finley by Alysse Gafjken; Shannon McNally by Alysse Gafjken; Chris Thile by Josh Goleman
Artist:Tall Heights Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts Song: “The Mountain” Release Date: June 15, 2021
In Their Words: “We never met the man whose photo inspired ‘The Mountain,’ but we felt his loss all the same. The image was of an old man, a friend’s grandfather, looking out at the Green Mountains of Vermont from his deathbed with the glow of the sunset on his face. It was a singular moment of imminent departure. And I think the song plays equally well at a wedding, and a funeral, as an agnostic promise for people in love even after death do them part. Verse one sums it up: ‘You always loved that mountain, so honey that’s where you’ll go. Not trying to be morbid, but at the end of your road, if you go somewhere else before I do, I’ll be looking at the mountain, honey, I’ll be making eyes at you.’ Even as we attempt some semblance of our old lives, there’s an elephant in the room of everything the pandemic has stolen from us, among them the ability to gather and collectively mourn those losses. It’s time to heal together.” — Tim Harrington and Paul Wright, Tall Heights
Artist:Timothy Howls Hometown: Austin, Texas, by way of Santa Barbara, California Song: “The Rubble” Album:The Rubble EP Release Date: May 21, 2021
In Their Words: “‘The Rubble’ is a broken-hearted love song about a relationship hanging by a thread. It was an introspective outpouring about my own inability to commit fully to someone else and realizing how that was hurting the woman I was with. I wrote it at a low point and thankfully we fought through and came out stronger on the other side. The video was shot in a desolate mining town called Terlingua, Texas, with more scenic shots from Marfa. The dilapidated landscapes perfectly fall in line with the sentiment I was attempting to convey in the lyrics. Thanks for checking it out!” — Timothy Howls
Artist:Nick Africano Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Song: “Heavy to Hold” Album:Gossip of Flames Release Date: June 18, 2021
In Their Words: “This is a song about not having a chance to say goodbye, and living with that lack of closure and guilt. Sometimes, all we want to do is hold on: to pain, to sadness, to grief, to guilt…because, if we can’t have the person or thing we lost, at least we have the pain, the sadness, the guilt still; the loss isn’t as final, we convince ourselves. Letting go is a risk…an ultimate act of trust…trust that perhaps we won’t be forever cut off from what we let go of, but, rather, even closer. When I went to my mother’s house after we lost her, her bible was open to a passage that read, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled, don’t be afraid.’ It sent chills through me. But I don’t think I listened. Hahaha. Maybe in this song I’m trying to say, ‘I’m listening now.'” — Nick Africano
Photo credit: Owen Donovan
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