Artist: Samantha Fish
Song: “Run Run Rudolph”
In Their Words: “‘Run Run Rudolph’ is always such an upbeat song, we thought it would be cool to dip it in some noir. It’s catchy and fun. I wanted to pay homage to the classic Chuck Berry song, yet interpret it in a different way. I think it walks the line between vintage rock ‘n’ roll and being a unique track all its own.” — Samantha Fish
Artist: Wade Bowen
Song: “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
Album: Twelve Twenty-Five
In Their Words: “Christmas has always been the most personal of holidays, with its combination of faith and family. That was true for me while growing up and it’s still true for me today, albeit in a completely different way. As a husband and father who spends so much time traveling the world playing music, I love the feeling the Christmas season brings to my life. And I recognize how quickly time passes and how each Christmas is unique and fleeting. With my family, I try to keep the best parts of the warm, magical, small-town vibe that my parents gave me while growing up in Waco.
“I’ve always wanted to make a Christmas album that reflects all of that. All that I’ve grown to love. I can remember sitting around listening to Christmas music with my mom and sisters and singing every word. So when it came time to choose the songs for this album, I wanted those to be part of the project. But on top of the classic songs I grew up with, I want to introduce my kids to the modern holiday songs by my favorite singers or things that I watched on TV that also became part of what Christmas means to me. So this record is a reflection of all of that…with a timeless feel. It was made with friends and family, singing songs that came to mean something to me over the years. And maybe, if we’re lucky, something on this album might become a small part of what Christmas means to you. I hope you enjoy it.” — Wade Bowen
Artist: Phöenix Lazare
Song: “Winter White”
Album: Winter White/Evergreen
In Their Words: “‘Winter White’ is a full-spirited Christmas lullaby that celebrates the magical annual transition into the holidays. Capturing the warm glow of the season, the song is straight from my heart. This is emulated in the vocals, piano and soft drums that lie underneath lyrics reflecting on the small miracles of a simple, yet meaningful holiday. I hope ‘Winter White’ transports listeners to a cozy, familiar kitchen or fireside.” — Phöenix Lazare
Artist: Yola
Hometown: Bristol, England
Song: “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
Album: Walk Through Fire: Deluxe Edition
(Featuring “I Don’t Wanna Lie” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”)
In Their Words: “Can’t believe it has only been a year since we announced Walk Through Fire, working with Dan Auerbach and the team has been an absolute dream and [I am] so proud of everything we have achieved. So many great songs from that session didn’t make the final cut, including ‘I Don’t Wanna Lie.’ I’m a HUGE Elton fan and we’ve been playing ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ on the tour and wanted to cut a version for this release, which Dan also produced! And then for Elton to personally premiere it, well that is the icing on the cake!” — Yola
Photo credit: Daniel Jackson
Artist: Josh Rouse
Song: “Christmas Songs”
Album: The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse
From the Artist: “[‘Christmas Songs’] was written a few weeks before recording the record. I was on tour in Sweden and I needed one more song to add to the group I had been collecting for years, an end credit if you will. I had Lee Hazlewood and the album Cowboy in Sweden in mind.” — Josh Rouse
Artist: Valerie June
Song: “Let It Snow” (single)
In Their Words: “Since the holiday season seems to begin sooner and sooner each year, my favorite holiday songs are the ones that make you want to cuddle up with a warm cup of tea and watch through the window as the season shifts from fall to winter.” — Valerie June
I met Logan Ledger at Santa’s Pub in Nashville, sometime late in the winter of 2016. It wasn’t long after that I first heard his voice — one I would never forget and can always identify. Part of me would love to tell you to imagine Ray Price dropping acid with The Grateful Dead on a misty San Francisco day, through the lens of a film noir feature. All of me, however, implores you to listen to his music and dream up your own visuals, which is easy to do when listening to his wonderful, burgeoning body of work.
These photographs (I hope) capture a small slice of the magic he and his music hold. We shot these somewhere in Tennessee. — Laura Partain
Logan in ’70s Levi’s “Action Slacks” and vintage zip boots.
Logan with a Madcap vintage mock turtleneck and the Levi’s “Action Slacks” with vintage zip boots, on a bridge “somewhere in Tennessee.”
Logan in a vintage Montgomery Ward suede, fringe jacket and a vintage “Career Club” shirt, circa 1970s.
Logan in a Jefferson turtleneck sweater and a vintage, double-breasted jacket made for the James Davis Store for Men in Memphis, Tennessee.
Logan’s Jefferson turtleneck sweater and vintage, double-breasted jacket from the James Davis Store for Men, in color.
Button and lining detail of Logan’s James Davis Store for Men double-breasted jacket.
Logan in the Jefferson turtleneck sweater, vintage, double-breasted jacket, and vintage slacks, circa 1970s.
All photos by Laura Partain
Artist: Bear’s Den
Song: “Only Son of the Falling Snow”
Album: Only Son of the Falling Snow (EP)
In Their Words: “I wrote the song a while ago. It’s a very nostalgic and reflective song which imagines someone looking back on their own life and walking into their old house, reliving some pivotal moments of their life and re-engaging with who they are as a person and where they’re at now. I read Winter, the novel by Ali Smith, and it really inspired me to want to write songs specifically about winter. I think it’s an incredibly inspiring time of year and it was a really fun and collaborative process for Kev and I to work on these songs, flesh them out, and bring them to life: embracing piano ideas and more acoustic elements whilst still exploring electronic textures behind the more reflective lyrics and sparse arrangements. We’re very proud to share this song with you.” — Andrew Davie, Bear’s Den
Steep Canyon Rangers have been musical ambassadors of North Carolina for nearly 20 years, and during this year’s set at MerleFest, they presented a wide-ranging performance drawing on their home state’s diverse contributions to American music. That feel-good Sunday afternoon show is now available as an eight-song live album, North Carolina Songbook.
The collection covers inspirations from jazz musician Thelonious Monk, folk/blues hero Elizabeth Cotten, and enduring acoustic legends such as Doc Watson and Flatt & Scruggs. Replying by email, mandolin player Mike Guggino answered these first five questions, with singer/guitarist Woody Platt rounding up the remainder.
BGS: The music of North Carolina can be an overwhelming subject. What was the audition process, so to speak, when it came time to deciding which songs you wanted to include in your set?
Guggino: We all tried to come to the table with songs that we thought might work for the set. We knew we needed not only good songs, but also songs that worked well together to make the set flow. We needed the set to have some diversity, some highs and lows dynamically. We also wanted to feature different members of the band throughout the show.
These songs are familiar, of course, but how much did you rehearse the set list before singing at MerleFest?
We starting working on the tunes a few months before the show. We tried to incorporate many of the tunes into our shows leading up to MerleFest to get an idea of how they worked within the set.
Naturally it’s important to have Doc Watson and Rosa Lee Watson represented. How often did you cross paths with them, and what do you remember most about them?
We all started going to Merlefest in our college years and Doc would perform every year. Seeing him play live was always a highlight of the festival for us. His was some of the first bluegrass/Americana music many of us in the band were ever exposed to. We starting learning many of Doc’s tunes for our shows early on as a band. Many years later, Doc played our festival (Mountain Song Festival) in Brevard. He was one of the nicest musicians I have ever met. It was an honor to meet him and none of us will ever forget that experience!
“Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” is a bluegrass staple. Do you remember how you all first heard that song?
That was one of the first Flatt & Scruggs tunes we ever heard or tried to learn. I’ve always loved the ragtime-like chord changes in that tune. Also, Earl played it open and the tune is in F major. It definitely gives it a unique sound on the banjo. I think Graham played the heck out of that one on the record!
What were the conversations like as you were deciding what kind of arrangement you wanted to give “Stand by Me”
We all agreed we wanted to feature that beautiful string solo section in the middle. This required a few extra fiddlers to make it happen and it came off so nicely. Woody really sings it with a lot of passion and that is really what makes the song work, in my opinion. We didn’t end up straying too far from the original arrangement in the end. It’s a simple song and we didn’t want to overthink it.
True to its name, “I’ve Endured” has been around a while. What pulled you toward this song?
Platt: This song was a natural fit — not only was Ola Belle Reed a clawhammer banjo player from Grassy Creek in Ashe County, North Carolina, but this song and several of her others have been pulled into the bluegrass genre. We have heard several versions of “I’ve Endured” and we are proud to now have our own.
This album is coming out on vinyl on Record Store Day. Who is the biggest vinyl collector among you?
Everyone in the band has an interest in vinyl and has a nice collection. Without doing an exact count I’d have to say Graham [Sharp, on banjo] is the biggest collector.
“Sweet Baby James” is a highlight of this album. Who is the biggest fan of James Taylor in the band?
James is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the band was originally formed. All of us have connections to his music in some way or another. I’d guess Barrett [Smith, on bass] is the biggest fan. He did a great job channeling James’s vibe and delivery on this version.
North Carolina Songbook provides a chance for you to share part of your state’s musical heritage with the world. What do you hope fans will take away from the experience of listening to this album?
The takeaway is North Carolina’s incredibly rich and diverse musical history! Also, we have recorded nearly 100% of our own original music throughout our career — so it’s fun to show a different side of the band and how we can interpret other songs and deliver them in the SCR style.
What lies ahead for the Steep Canyon Rangers in 2020?
We have a few new projects coming up in 2020. A collaboration with the Asheville Symphony will be released in early 2020. Later in the year we will be releasing a new project of all original SCR material. Other than that we plan to continue to tour and play theaters, clubs, and festivals all over the country and abroad. There will also be some touring with our banjo buddy Steve Martin.
Photo Credit: David Simchock
“I decided to make a mixtape of the songs that inspired me to write music. It is always good to return to the reason you started something, especially if you find yourself lost in the middle or far from the start and you need to anchor back to where you began. It’s like going home to reground, rejuvenate, and revitalize! Luckily music is a portable home on our phones these days so I can always dive back in whenever I need to. I hope you enjoy my Mixtape!” — Lily Kershaw
Simon & Garfunkel – “The Sound of Silence”
I chose this song to begin with because it was the first song I heard that made me want to write music. I remember the first time I heard it the world felt like it stopped and an immediate desire to create a song arose in me.
Joni Mitchell – “Cactus Tree”
I’ve been listening to Joni since I was a kid, and this song of her’s in particular made me want to write. I love that she is talking about a woman who would be deemed as “complicated” just because of her desire to be untethered and free, but Joni made her seem so alive and well and glamorous. I remember wanting to be like the woman she sang of.
“He can think her there beside him
He can miss her just the same”
How brilliant is that lyric?!
Leonard Cohen – “Chelsea Hotel #2”
I have covered this song at the majority of shows I’ve ever played live. Cohen wrote this about Janis Joplin. These particular lyrics break my heart:
“Ah but you got away didn’t you babe
You just turned your back on the crowd
You got away I never once heard you say
I need you, I don’t need you”
Crosby, Stills & Nash – “Helplessly Hoping”
I went through a very dark season in my life and the first thing I would do when I woke up in the morning during that time was listen to this song. It would make me feel better even if only for a fleeting moment. I always hope that the music I write can bring comfort to anyone who needs it.
Bob Dylan – “A Simple Twist of Fate”
“People tell me it’s a sin
To know and feel too much within”
I deeply relate to these lyrics.
Joan Baez – “Diamonds And Rust”
Joan actually wrote this song about Bob Dylan. The poetry is next level!
“Well you burst on the scene already a legend
the unwashed phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes the girl on the half shelf could keep you unharmed”
Cat Stevens – “The Wind”
This song always re-grounds me and connects me back to my heart and my goal to write music and tell stories from my heart.
Elliott Smith – “Between the Bars”
This is another song I love to cover live and have done so often. I love and relate to this passage of lyrics in particular:
“People you’ve been before that you don’t want around anymore
That push and shove and won’t bend to your will
I’ll keep them still”
Nico – “These Days”
I love a woman simply speaking about where she is at in that moment of her life. It is honest, poetic, simple, and profound.
“I’ve been out walking
I don’t do too much talking these days
These days
These days I seem to think a lot
about the things I forgot to do”
Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago”
This song brings me life. I feel so many things when I listen to this song. It definitely connects me back to my heart and to the place in me that wants to write music.
Now comes the part of my mixtape that is solely a Simon & Garfunkel appreciation section. Here are some of the lyrics that have most inspired me to write!
Simon & Garfunkel – “The Boxer”
“I am leaving I am leaving
but the fighter still remains”
Simon & Garfunkel – “The Dangling Conversation”
“In the dangling conversation
and the superficial sighs
The borders of our lives
And you read your Emily Dickinson
and I my Robert Frost
and we note our place with book markers
that measure what we’ve lost”
Simon & Garfunkel – “The Only Living Boy in New York”
“Half of the time we’re gone
but we don’t know where
And we don’t know where”
Now these next two songs are ones I have written. They show the side of what the inspiration from the songs thus far have lead me to create!
Lily Kershaw – “Now & Then”
This is a simple honest folk song about the complicated nature of love and how it changes over time.
“Remember the rooftop parties
Remember the friends
Remember the way I love you now
and the way that I loved you then”
Lily Kershaw – “Darker Things”
This is another of my more acoustic, stripped songs. In it I worry about someone I love very much and how they are hurting and in return hurting themself.
“And you say you hate the way your
mind makes you feel about
all the darker things in your life
I feel you now
I can feel you”
I hope you have enjoyed my mixtape of the songs that inspired me to write music!
Photo credit: Lindsey Byrnes
