Artist:The Prickly Pair Hometown: Santa Monica, California (Mason Summit), Berwyn, Pennsylvania (Irene Greene). Now Nashville, Tennessee Latest Album:The Prickly Pair (EP) Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Sharktooth Necklace
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
Last year, we were honored to take part in a tribute to one of our songwriting heroes, Gene Clark, produced by Carla Olson at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, where Mason used to work. It was thrilling to perform alongside Gene’s family and collaborators.
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
We watch a lot of movies together – foreign films, ’40s and ’50s film noir, and horror. Often, we’ll be watching a movie and when a phrase or line of dialogue stands out to us, we turn to each other at the same time and say, “Write that down!”
We’ve also written songs based on true stories and real people. Our song “Wilderness” was partially inspired by Chris McCandless (Into the Wild) and our latest single, “Swamp Angel,” is about Helen Spence, also known as the Daughter of the White River.
Genre is dead (long live genre!), but how would you describe the genres and styles your music inhabits?
We like to call ourselves an “Angsty Americana” duo – twangy music with a dose of melancholy and fatalism. We also love the recently-popularized term “Y’allternative,” as Mason’s production on our records tends to have some lo-fi and psychedelic elements alongside more traditional country instrumentation. Gram Parsons conceptualized “Cosmic American Music” and that phrase resonates with us as well.
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?
We love Amyl & the Sniffers and saw them put on a phenomenal show at Marathon Music Works in Nashville earlier this year.
What would a perfect day as an artist and creator look like to you?
It’s a great feeling to finish a song and perform it the very same night.
Artist:Sam Burchfield Hometown: Seneca, South Carolina (now Jasper, Georgia) Latest Album:Nature Speaks (out October 24 on Cloverdale Records) Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Sammy B. Rejected band name: Sam & The Samwiches.
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?
Around the same time my older sister started playing electric bass, I saw O Brother, Where Art Thou? and I heard “Eruption” by Van Halen for the first time. These memories all felt very important to me wanting to start playing guitar. As soon as I started playing guitar there was no going back. It consumed my life in the best way. Started my first band in 7th grade and ever since I have been writing songs and putting out records. (Long live Kelly Sparks The Fuse, my experimental garage rock band from middle school.)
What’s the most difficult creative transformation you’ve ever undertaken?
Becoming a parent. Ha!
But for real, it has so drastically changed who I am. It feels like I have finally unfolded from within myself. The past 3 years – we just had our second child six months ago – have shown the biggest overall life challenges as well as growth that I’ve yet to experience. My wife and I have been pushed in every way to dig deep and push forward. It’s beautiful, it’s painful, it’s meaningful. Creatively, it has really focused me and helped me to cut away some of the fluff.
If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?
Going off the last question, it has been so hard to keep pursuing being an artist as a “career” over the last decade. I think it has also made me really value the core reason that I’m doing all of this and putting myself and my family through so much chaos sometimes.
Ultimately, I want to inspire people to see the truth, beauty, and goodness of the world.
Does pineapple really belong on pizza?
Without a doubt, but only when it’s next to that ham, babayyyyy!
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
Well my first dream job was professional Lego builder. So probably that.
Although, nowadays I really love a good home project. Currently building an addition on the house and there is nothing as satisfying as throwing up a freshly framed wall. So maybe a carpenter!
Artist:Meredith Moon Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Latest Album:From Here to the Sea (released September 12, 2025)
Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?
I’m a bit of a deep-dive Dylan archivist. I’m one of those people who knows every bootleg series and can never get enough of the intricacies and nuances surrounding the various versions of his works. So while I know I’m not unique in this answer, I’d have to say Bob Dylan.
Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do they impact your work?
I spend most of my time outside in an attempt to maintain my humanity, but I’m pretty sure I’ve spent the majority of my most meaningful/intentional time in nature up in the lake country of Ontario, canoeing in places like Algonquin Park, The Kawartha Highlands, Northwestern Ontario, etc. I’ve gone on quite a few trips that are generally about a week or two in duration; I did one solo trip (with my dog) in Southern Algonquin Park that lasted five nights and six days. When you’re out there, you know exactly why you’re there and everything you need just comes to you. If you know you know! My belief is that when we put ourselves in vulnerable positions we can access something way back in our DNA that sort of guides us on how to survive. So I like doing that every once in a while, just to remind myself that I’m still connected to that.
What’s the most difficult creative transformation you’ve ever undertaken?
Getting sober, hands down. It took me months after quitting drinking to remember that I was still a musician and that I could still craft songs. I think part of that is the sort of “biopic culture” that follows you around as a musician. That we all have to be drunk cowboys in bars in order to have validity within the Americana scene.
However, as soon as I got sober and actually talked openly about it, it turned out that the majority of musicians I looked up to in the scene were actually sober, too, all along. It came back to me eventually, but there was definitely a period of reinvention before I could get anything out.
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?
I was real big on ’90s grunge as a teenager. Some may be surprised that there’s actually a pretty strong connection between that stuff and traditional American folk tunes – the structure, some of the changes, etc. When I was a kid, I would have songs by Hole next to songs by Odetta and Doc Watson on the same playlist. I just like songs that have a strong melody and focused lyrics. And if you look at the song that way, there isn’t much difference.
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
My first love was painting and probably always will be. I’ve done photography professionally as well through the years, as well as other crafts. So I suppose if the music weren’t around, I’d just switch to the visual arts.
Artist:Olivia Barton Hometown: Maitland, Florida Latest Album:For Myself and For You (released October 10, 2025) Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Liv
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
Last year I played my second ever headline show in Philly. Kind of everything was going wrong… The venue was weird, you could hear Mariachi music playing from the kitchen my whole set, the sound guy was (you guessed it) an asshole. But there were about 40 of the most passionate, present, beautiful fans there with me. And during this one song called “Fun” they started singing the lyrics so loud on the second verse and I just lost it. Sometimes I can miss beautiful moments like that, because it’s almost too much to take it in – but this was too good to miss. I started sobbing, like genuinely crying really hard, and they sang the whole verse for me. It was magical.
Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?
Carole King. She and James Taylor were among the handful in constant rotation in my house growing up. There’s a “chicken or the egg” situation here – do I relate to her because she shaped me, or did I gravitate towards her because I already had similar qualities within me? She’s earnest. She’s not trying to sound smart or unique. She’s saying it like it is and saying it with her chest. She’s gritty and sensitive. No fluff. Songwriting over production, always. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes fun, most of the time both. I have a lot to learn from her still.
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
I love abstract art. I’ve never considered myself to have synesthesia, but I do feel colors when I write. There’s this one abstract artist that’s done a lot for my music. Their name is Brit Chida and we’ve become friends. They make abstract art (mostly watercolor) coupled with their writing on trauma, queerness, finding joy – kinda everything. The first song on my record is called “There’s a Part of Me That Was Never Injured,” which is the title of one of Brit’s paintings. The painting and the title inspired me to write a song based off of that idea. Our deep friendship began from me asking their permission to use it.
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
Cook! My very favorite person is Julia Child. I’ve read and watched everything there is to read and watch about her. That’s more about me relating to her whole philosophy on creating than it is about me loving to cook, but I do also love to cook. I love food so much and I also associate my mom with cooking. When I was in high school she would light candles and pour a glass of wine and put on Norah Jones and sauté stuff without knowing what she was doing. So I do that now (without the wine) and if I wasn’t a musician, I think I’d go to cooking school and have dinner parties with my friends.
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?
Charli XCX. I mean, not totally a surprise, who doesn’t love her? But I have thought a lot about what it is about her music that I’m so drawn towards since our genres couldn’t be more different. I’ve landed on the fact that her records (particularly Brat) are direct, minimal, brave, candid, bare, and liberating. I would say those are all things I strive to do in my music too. But beyond all that, Charli teaches me how to have fun.
Artist:We Met In June Hometown: Currently living in Sogndal, Norway Latest Album:Going Home (released September 19, 2025)
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?
I remember my dad and I driving through Minnesota when I was about eight years old. He had bought Fleetwood Mac’s collection CD so we’d have something to listen to and we played it over and over again. I became completely obsessed and that’s when I found a deep interest in music. I knew I wanted to do what Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie were doing. – Sara
I think I was around seven when I saw the music video for “The Final Countdown” by Europe and I thought the guitar solo by John Norum was the coolest thing ever. I remember thinking, “I want to do that someday!” I’ve also always looked up to my dad, who’s a great guitar player. He was the one who introduced me to acoustic music and bluegrass, which has been the greatest gift. – Gjest
Genre is dead (long live genre!), but how would you describe the genres and styles your music inhabits?
We’d say it’s a blend of singer-songwriter, folk, Americana, and pop. Some journalists in Norway have called our music “Nordicana,” which is basically a Nordic take on Americana. We’re inspired by a lot of ’70s music like Fleetwood Mac, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and we also love Kacey Musgraves and the whole Nashville country-pop scene.
On top of that, we listen to a lot of acoustic music like Alison Krauss & Union Station, Gillian Welch, Nickel Creek, Molly Tuttle, etc. Our acoustic guitar playing is very influenced by those bands and the sound on our new record is a dreamy mixture of acoustic guitars, sometimes mandolin and banjo, plus drums, bass, keyboards, and synths. – Gjest
Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do they impact your work?
Living on the west coast of Norway surrounded by mountains and fjords has given us a strong bond with nature – it’s part of our everyday life. I start every morning with a walk to clear my head and get some fresh air. It always seems to lift my mood a bit. – Sara
And then there’s the weather – we get a lot of cold, rainy days here, which makes it easier and more natural to stay inside and play music, write, and practice. We’ve been to Nashville, for example, and it’s hard to understand how people get anything done in that heat! – Gjest
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
I’d probably be a veterinarian. It used to be my dream before We Met In June. In Norway it’s really difficult to get into veterinary school and I’ve actually applied every year since high school just to see if I’d get in. This summer, for the first time, I was accepted – and I have to admit, it hurt a little bit to turn down the spot. [Laughs] – Sara
I honestly have no idea. As a kid, I thought excavators were the coolest thing, but I probably wouldn’t be good at anything else. I’m just glad I get to do music. – Gjest
What’s one question you wish interviewers would stop asking you?
We appreciate all questions, but there’s one that always comes up: “What’s it like being a couple and working so closely together?”
We get why people are curious, but for us it feels completely natural to spend so much time together. And, honestly, if you’re going to work that closely with someone, why not do it with your favorite person in the world? Of course it’s not without challenges, like any partnership, but most of the time it’s an advantage. That said, we could definitely be better at taking breaks – it’s music 24/7! – Sara
Artist:Elexa Dawson Hometown: Emporia, Kansas Latest Album:Stay Put (released September 12, 2025) Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): A lot of my friends call me Lexy
If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?
“Music is Medicine.” My songs and the ideas behind them are almost always in response to a heartache or mental puzzle that I find myself working out through lyrics and music. Some of my most positive and uplifting songs were written during times when I was experiencing a lot of hopelessness and depression. The songs are medicine for me, first, and then it’s a privilege to get to share these songs with people who reflect that healing effect back to me.
The most common comment I get from audiences is that they were able to cry during my set and, while that’s not what I set out to do, I lean into it, because in our Potawatomi traditions, tears are healing waters that need to flow through our bodies to help us move on beyond difficulties. So really, it’s an honor to be able to guide someone through an emotion like that.
Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do they impact your work?
I’ve always been obsessed with food, foraging, and natural medicines, so I’d have to say plants. They are older than us humans and they remember how to survive through experiences that haven’t happened to them, but happened to generations before them, which is fascinating to me. They work with mycelium, the fungal strands that transmit messages and food through the soil network between their roots.
“Roots Grow” is all about how roots support life in darkness, and how important compost is to life, which teaches me what to do with the dead and decaying parts of myself that need composting. Plants are one of my greatest teachers.
What’s the most difficult creative transformation you’ve ever undertaken?
This is an interesting question, because the creative transformations that I’ve already undertaken are in hindsight. The obstacles have been overcome and the one I’m currently staring down is always the one I’m having the most difficulty with. The perennial theme is that there is always a tense relationship between the creation of music as a cathartic human exercise and the presentation of the music to the music industry and fans.
I think there’s always an insecurity that the artist feels when they put out new things. With Stay Put being released, I’m feeling simultaneously on edge about reviews and immensely proud of this really unique and singular moment in my creative process where Peter Oviatt (Moonflower Sounds) and I were able to create something that I think stands out, whether the response is as big as I think is deserved or not. I create for myself, but who doesn’t want to see their name on a chart?
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
I’d be working with the land more and hopefully not alone. I’ve got a degree in sustainable agriculture and while I love my messy garden outside my house, I would love to work with a team on a farm. I started a nonprofit called Good Way Gardens where we produce a monthly lawn concert series that’s free and open to the community and provides access to our educational garden spaces where we grow a lot of pollinator-benefitting plants, as well as a lot of native plants like the four sisters (corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers). It has been on a very small scale and we are working to increase our capacity for next year. So really, I found a way to put music and gardening together, which is a dream come true.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
I’m a big Walnut Valley Festival evangelist. I’ve been attending this bluegrass festival in Winfield, Kansas, for 27 years. My all-femme bluegrass-adjacent vocal group, Weda Skirts, is performing on the main stages for the fourth year in a row. That’s where Heyleon, another group I’ve had the pleasure of recording a lot of material with, was born.
Food and music are all over that place there and one of my campmates is famous for his smoked meat. At the time of my writing this, the festival is approaching and I have to say my perfect pairing is Dusty’s bacon and a jam session at my campsite, which is home to Weda Skirts and also members of The Dewayn Brothers, Bad Chuck and the Bad Dreams, The Bennett Brothers, and Cowgirl’s Train Set. I am also really looking forward to sitting in the grandstands, eating a big plate of greek salad and dolmas, and watching John Depew Trio on Stage 1, who are friends and also phenomenal players. It’s their first time on the big stages and I’m ecstatic that more folks will be able to hear their genius. Winfield is home, and I can’t wait to go back.
Artist:SAVNT (lead singer of Ghost Hounds) Hometown: Englewood, New Jersey Latest Album:Almost Home (released by Ghost Hounds in March 2025) Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Sav
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
My favorite memory from being on stage was back in 2018. A close friend of mine, Mitchell Lee, asked me to help him close his show at Music Farm in Charleston, South Carolina. I sang a song which we now know as “You’ll Never Find Me,” on our album Almost Home. By the time I got to the second chorus of the song, people were vibing so much that they were singing the chorus back to me. To witness a song no one had heard before make such an impact – that will forever be one of my favorite memories.
Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do they impact your work?
Water is the element in nature I connect to the most. When I start writing a song, I am either walking in the rain, washing dishes, taking a shower, or standing by a body of water, and that’s when inspiration comes to me the most.
What’s the most difficult creative transformation you’ve ever undertaken?
Stepping into this new space as the lead singer of Ghost Hounds has been the most difficult yet rewarding creative transformation I’ve ever undertaken. As a solo artist you are often told to pick one lane, stick to it, and simplify your words so people can understand you; that doesn’t really work for someone like me, who is not only inspired by many genres of music and appreciates great storytelling.
With Ghost Hounds, I get to move wherever inspiration takes me. I get to explore my love of soul, folk, rock, blues, and country without apology. After coming from a world that was so restrictive, this type of freedom can be scary and you may feel like you are out of place. But with the support of my bandmates I realize the more authentic I am, the more real the music feels – in a world that teaches us to hide our emotions, this music thrives when you expose them.
What is the most random interview question you’ve ever been asked?
The most random question I’ve been asked was, “Is cereal a soup and is a hot dog a sandwich?”
If you were a color, what shade would you be – and why?
If I was a color I would be a shade of electric blue – the color of Iron Man’s heart piece. It reminds me of lightning and, for whatever reason, it makes me feel extremely powerful, like a storm.
Lead Image: Ghost Hounds by Allister Ann. Alternate image: SAVNT by Sergio Colon.
Artist:Lauren Lovelle Hometown: Newton, Kansas Latest Album: My EP, Other Dreams, released September 9! Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Lolo or Lo. I really liked the band name “Lauren Lovelle and the Matter Babies,” too.
Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?
I’ve always been mesmerized by Linda Ronstadt’s voice, and the passion she channels when singing. She pours her entire heart out. Every song she ever sang felt like it was completely her own.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
My favorite memories onstage are with my dad’s band as a child. There is something supernaturally special about making music with kin. I started playing with him when I was four. The memories of my father and grandpa teaching me to play and perform pass through my mind to the soundtrack of that ABBA song, “Thank You For the Music.”
“Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing/ Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing… Thank you for the music, for giving it to me.”
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
I absolutely love to dance. It’s so necessary and healing. Just like my therapist would tell me to do with emotions, I like to identify where exactly I feel the song in my body. It can be powerful to share the emotional embodiments of the songs with the band to help us communicate and feel it as a unit. Sometimes, I write something that I feel in my legs and feet and it makes me want to stomp and strut around the stage. Sometimes I write something in my shoulders and chest and it makes me feel like I’m floating. Sometimes the song springs from my gut or hips where it feels more natural to dig my feet in, staying planted and upright.
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
I’m a nursing school dropout. I was a CNA for awhile, so I could’ve likely continued down that path. I always told my mom I’d be a truck driver so I could listen to music and sing in the car as loud as I want all day. But when I was old enough to find out they can’t smoke weed, I decided that was no longer in the cards for me.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
It’s simple, but listening to Hank Williams and eating beans or chili and cornbread feels right. I have done it before on purpose and by accident. Real cowboy meal. Makes me feel close to my grandpas.
Artist:Remedy Tree Hometown: Umatilla, Florida Latest Album:Beyond What I Can See (releasing September 12, 2025) Personal Nicknames: Abigail – Abi; Gabriel – Gabi; Nathan – NayNay; Isaac – Dehydrated And Decaffeinated.
(Editor’s Note: Answers provided by Gabriel Acevedo)
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
2024 EMS Spring Bluegrass Fest in Brooksville, Florida, with Chris Henry and Steve Leonard. We got to open for the SteelDrivers and worked tirelessly to put on our best show and production together with props, a late night pre-show, etc. Watching it come to fruition with the perfect vibe and watching everyone dance was very inspiring.
What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?
I used to not have any and it started to affect the show, coming up feeling unprepared and frantic. Nowadays I try to have about half an hour before shows to slow myself down. Laying on my back on the ground, doing vocal warmups. Also ashwagandha gummies. We all kind of just hang out and relax and try to be as chill as possible.
What’s the most difficult creative transformation you’ve ever undertaken?
Becoming a bluegrass band recognized in the industry as such. Funny enough, this upcoming album exemplifies the most difficult creative challenge: Creating a proper bluegrass album while staying true to our flavors and background. Remedy Tree was born within the old-time and folk world. Bluegrass has a formula that must be learned and perfected and that’s one reason why it’s so beautiful. Being on a bluegrass label having recorded much of the album live feels amazing. It’s been so surreal.
What’s one question you wish interviewers would stop asking you?
“So where does your band name come from?” This is unfair, I know, but it’s the most frequently asked question and I never have a good answer for them. The name came from me brainstorming names for hours and using a series of random word generators. I didn’t even like it at first, and then it stuck!
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?
Being Puerto Rican, I think Latin elements will enter our music sometime, subtly. I don’t know when, but that’s a part of me that is bound to show itself at some point.
Artist:Bonnie & the Mere Mortals Hometown: Avella, Pennsylvania Latest Album:Take Me to the Moon (available August 29, 2025) Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): I get Bonald a lot. Bon Bon, Bonners, Bonnie Romano.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
Two years ago for our Halloween show, I looked out in the crowd and saw a complete stranger scream-singing along for the first time. As an artist, I constantly question what I’m doing. This is a hard path we’ve chosen that can beat you down a lot, but you can’t fabricate that moment. You’ve reached someone, you touched their lives in some way. I’ve since had that experience dozens of times and have even gotten to do a Bonnie & the Mere Mortals tattoo on a fan, but you never forget your first.
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
I truly think the difference between art forms is no wider than the difference of medium: oil or watercolor? Everything is how you choose to express your idea. I have a literature degree and I grew up in an abandoned coal town; I wanted to make music the way Southern Gothic writers like Michael McDowell made me feel. Southern Gothic is often seen as just slow Americana in a minor key, but I wanted to expand that thinking to include my experience growing up in a Southern Gothic tableau. I also dress up like a drag queen because I want the Mere Mortals to be as visual as we are musical. Our presentation is always firmly tongue-in-cheek because every murder ballad has a punch line and I never think you should take yourself that seriously.
What’s the most difficult creative transformation you’ve ever undertaken?
When I was growing up, it was the golden age of pop-country. Miss Shania Twain, Garth, the Chicks? Everywhere. I grew up on the values of Hank and “Raise Hell, Praise Dale.” Post 9/11 though, I really started to resent my upbringing. I discovered the Cure, Queen, and Bowie, and put aside Ralph Stanley. I moved to the city, came out as queer, and started a metal band. I never truly felt fulfilled though. I felt I had to hide a part of myself that made up so much of my character.
It wasn’t until I heard Gillian Welch for the first time that I started to dive back into myself and realized that I wasn’t really making art authentically. I bought a banjo and started to learn clawhammer. I rediscovered so many loves I had put aside and I began to feel myself again. I realized that what I loved about the Smiths was the same thing I loved about Jason Isbell, and I couldn’t see why they shouldn’t go together. Some of my folks couldn’t understand the transition, but they certainly do now.
What would a perfect day as an artist and creator look like to you?
Film an episode of The Muppets as a special guest and then head over to Dolly’s house to cook her a pasta dinner.
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
My day job for the last 15 years has been working as a tattoo artist. I co-own a shop in Pittsburgh called the Kindred Spirit Tattoo Co. It can be hard making it as an artist on both sides of the sun, but I feel so grateful I get to do two things I love so much.
Photo Credit: Veronica Baron
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